ESPN acquires TGL rights in US
October 5, 2023
TGL presented by SoFi, the new tech-forward, team golf league developed by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy’s TMRW Sports in partnership with the PGA Tour, and ESPN have announced a multi-year partnership that makes ESPN the exclusive home of TGL matches in the US beginning in January 2024. The announcement was made by Rosalyn Durant, ESPN Executive Vice President, Programming and Acquisitions, and Mike McCarley, Founder & CEO, TMRW Sports and TGL.
TGL programming will be featured across ABC, ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN+. ABC will air a TGL presented by SoFi preview show on December 30th. The inaugural TGL match will air in prime time on ESPN and ESPN+ on January 9th, the night following the the College Football Playoff National Championship. The second TGL match will air in prime time on ESPN and ESPN+ on January 16th, the night following ESPN’s Monday Night Football NFL Wild Card game. All Matches will air on either ESPN or ESPN2 and simulcast on ESPN+.
“Innovation and creativity are core to our ESPN mission and TGL will bring those tenets to life for golf fans,” said Durant. “TGL is going to be a two-hour presentation unlike anything you have seen before. All players will wear live microphones and viewers will have unprecedented access during competition. It’s an exciting landscape for presenting golf and we look forward to bringing it to fans.”
“We believe ESPN is the right home for TGL presented by SoFi and recognize the strategic benefits of Disney’s portfolio. ESPN is often the first stop for sports fans, no matter the platform, and we’re honored by ESPN’s view that TGL complements their current offering of major league sports,” said McCarley. “ESPN has embraced the concept from our very first meeting and we’re looking forward to launching TGL in prime time on ESPN and bringing our teams of the PGA Tour’s biggest stars to their ESPN’s legion of sports fans. The two-hour match format has been designed for today’s sports fan, as it’s rooted in the traditions of golf, but adds technical elements that are unique to a modern, sports arena environment.”
TGL presented by SoFI will debut in January 2024:
- ESPN: TGL Week 1: The inaugural TGL match will air on January 9th at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN and ESPN+. This will benefit from a promotional surge the night prior during ESPN’s coverage of the 2024 College Football Playoff National Championship Game, traditionally one of the most-watched ESPN events every year.
- ESPN: TGL Week 2: TGL’s second week match will air on January 16th at 7 p.m. ET, the night after ESPN’s Monday Night Football NFL Wild Card Game that airs on both ESPN and ABC.
- ABC: TGL Preview Show: On December 30th, ABC will air a TGL presented by SoFi preview show that will delve into the debut of this new golf league and introduce the six teams of PGA Tour players, some of whom will demonstrate the advanced technology behind TGL in SoFi Center, the custom-built TGL arena.
- All Matches will air on ESPN or ESPN2 and simulcast on ESPN+.
A detailed schedule for the inaugural season of TGL will be released at a later date.
TGL a new golf league that fuses advanced tech and live action with teams of PGA Tour stars across a season of matches in prime time starting on January 9th on ESPN and ESPN+. SoFi Center is TGL’s purpose-built arena in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., on the campus of Palm Beach State College. Technology is a foundational element of TGL, offering fans a progressive, shorter format presentation of team golf, featuring some of the PGA Tour’s biggest superstars. Currently, 12 players committed to playing in TGL have been announced, including Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Collin Morikawa, Justin Thomas, Matt Fitzpatrick, Justin Rose, Adam Scott, Xander Schauffele, Max Homa, Rickie Fowler, and Billy Horschel.