The PGA Changes the Way Golf Is Covered on the Network

The PGA Championship is a massively popular tournament and ESPN just made one of the biggest moves in broadcast history to take advantage of that. By signing a deal to become the exclusive live broadcaster of 2023 Masters matches and nabbed rights to a new golf league featuring Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods, ESPN is putting itself in the driver’s seat when it comes to changing how golf is televised.

The change might seem slight but it’s huge for a sport that’s struggled to keep fans engaged in recent years, even with the influx of young players like Jordan Spieth and Justin Rose. The move will force the PGA to change its approach and will make it more competitive with the other golf networks, who largely treat the Masters as an afterthought despite it being a major tournament that attracts some of the sport’s most loyal viewers.

It’s a smart move for ESPN, which has had a relationship with the Masters since its debut on September 8, 1979. The network has aired amateur and professional golf in some form since then, including the LPGA Tour, the senior circuit and celebrity events.

In announcing the PGA deal, ESPN executive vice president Burke Magnus explained that “The PGA Tour is one of the few sports that have the ability to truly make an impact on television. Its unique format allows the network to deliver an unparalleled viewing experience that engages and entertains viewers.”

Those engagement figures are backed up by data. During the first year of the PGA Tour’s new multiyear partnership with ESPN+, the live streaming service saw double-digit growth in subscribership and viewing hours for its PGA coverage.

The PGA Tour is betting that the combination of its prominent position on ESPN+, the growth of the PGA’s own digital platform and the increased production investment will help it hold its own against new competition like LIV Golf, which is already the PGA Tour’s primary competitor in a crowded market for live streamed golf content. It’s a bold bet, but so far it’s looking good.

For now, the PGA will use its new agreement with ESPN to test new approaches and see what sticks. That’s great for viewers, who will get to see a lot of new stuff that might not be possible at any other time of the year. It’s also a chance for ESPN to prove that it can be more than just a collection of talking heads and highlights.

The best case scenario is that ESPN uses the PGA as a broadcasting lab, introduces some changes and then pushes other golf broadcasters to catch up — like CBS did with its omnipresent shot tracer at the 2019 Masters. It’s a big gamble but if the results are successful, ESPN might just be able to save the Masters from the same fate as the PGA. Let’s hope so. It’s a tournament that deserves better than its current treatment.