TGL is not flinching from the NFL — again — after announcing on Thursday that it will open its season going head-to-head with the powerhouse for a second consecutive year.
The high-tech, indoor golf league co-founded by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy will start Season 3 at the SoFi Center in Palm Beach Gardens on Sunday, Dec. 27. The time and teams will be announced at a later date.
TGL had solid ratings a year ago on opening day against the NFL for the first time, earning a rating 30 percent higher than the league's average for its first season.
Last season's opener started at 3 p.m. and was televised by ABC. The league, owned by TMRW Sports, announced it has extended its deal with ESPN as its domestic media rights partner.
“ESPN has been the ultimate
partner in helping establish TGL, combining unparalleled promotion, reach and sports presentation,” said Rufus Hack, president of golf for TMRW Sports. "We believe deeply in the power of partnerships, and this extension reflects our shared ambition to take TGL to new levels while continuing to elevate the competition, storytelling and fan experience."
The newly created WTGL featuring LPGA stars will also be aired by ESPN and ABC, along with ION. The WTGL season debuts Nov. 8 and concludes Dec. 22.
TGL drew strong viewership against NFL in last season's opening match
Last season's TGL opener, a rematch of the inaugural season's final between eventual champion Atlanta Drive and New York Golf Club, drew 646,000 viewers on ABC from 3 to 5:07 p.m. It peaked at more than 700,000 viewers twice during the two-hour match.
Total viewership forTGL's second season was 21.782 million viewers, an 8 percent increase from the 20.215 million viewers that tuned in for its first season.
The TGL Finals match — featuring the return of Woods to competitive golf after recovering from back surgery — was the most-watched telecast of the league's second season, second-most across both seasons.
The Los Angeles Golf Club's 9-2 victory over Wood's Jupiter Links Golf Club on March 24 averaged 989,000 viewers on ESPN.
TGL will expand to seven teams for its third season with the addition of Motor City Golf Club, which will include five-time major champion Brooks Koepka.
Koepka, the Palm Beach County native and Jupiter resident, is playing TGL for the first time. He was ineligible for the first two seasons because of his contract with LIV Golf. Koepka rejoined the PGA Tour this year after leaving LIV in January.
"The addition of Motor City Golf Club this season builds on that momentum, bringing a great sports city and passionate fan base into TGL as we continue to grow the league," Hack said.
Tom D'Angelo is a senior sports columnist and reporter for The Palm Beach Post. He can be reached at tdangelo@pbpost.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: TGL sets season 3 start date against NFL schedule
