Shocking viewing figures revealed for latest edition of The Match
The ninth iteration of The Match, which featured Rory McIlroy, Max Homa, Rose Zhang and Lexi Thompson, recorded record-low viewing figures.
Once regarded as the ultimate alternative to PGA Tour action, The Match fell from grace on Monday when the star-studded lineup received record-low viewing figures.
Featuring some of the game's biggest names, including Rory McIlroy, Max Homa, Rose Zhang, and Lexi Thompson, the ninth iteration of the exhibition format had all of the ingredients to be a show-stopper.
The broadcast even featured appearances from NBA legend Charles Barkley and recent golf fanatic DJ Khaled.
Despite that, the show only pulled in 511,000 average viewers across the Warner Bros. Discovery family of networks.
That equated to a drop of almost a quarter of a million viewers from last year's edition, which featured American sports stars Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, Steph Curry and Klay Thompson (723,000 viewers).
The meagre viewing figures were a long way off your typical Sunday on the PGA Tour and fall more in the region of the average LIV Golf final round.
Since its inception in 2018, The Match has drawn some staggering audiences.
The 2020 edition, which featured Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Peyton Manning and Tom Brady, set a cable TV record for the highest viewing figures for a golf event, capturing the attention of a whopping 5.8 million people.
While the 2024 figures were low, there were still some positives to be drawn from the event.
Firstly, it raised close to $2m for charity. Which in itself is a huge achievement.
Secondly, it was the first time The Match featured two female golfers, bucking the trend of an all-male lineup.
The inclusion of both Zhang and Thompson is undoubtedly a step in the right direction for the event, following on from the success of the Grant Thornton Invitational in December, which saw the sport's top male and female golfers paired together.
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