TGL, the hybrid indoor golf league co-founded by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy, has signed a multi-year rights agreement to air their league matches on ESPN in the United States, kicking off with the league's launch in January 2024.
The league will debut on Tuesday, Jan. 9, with the first match that will air on ESPN and ESPN+ following the College Football Playoff National Championship game. The second match will air one week later following the NFL Wild Card game airing on ESPN. A detailed schedule for the 15-match inaugural season of TGL will be released at a later date, but all matches will air on ESPN or ESPN2.
TGL will feature six teams of four players (with three competing), expects matches to take approximately two hours and will be played at a purpose-built venue on the campus of Palm Beach State College in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., dubbed SoFi Center. The matches will consist of head-to-head match play, with as many as 2,000 fans welcomed into SoFi Center, which will feature a virtual course powered by simulator golf for tee shots and approach shots, while short-game play and putting will take place on a short-game complex built into the venue with a physical green and bunkering.
Thus far, TGL has announced 16 player commitments, including Woods, McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Collin Morikawa, Justin Thomas, Matt Fitzpatrick, Tyrrell Hatton, Tom Kim, Shane Lowry, Tommy Fleetwood, Justin Rose, Adam Scott, Xander Schauffele, Max Homa, Rickie Fowler and Billy Horschel. The remaining players are expected to be named soon.
The ownership groups have been announced for four of the six teams, representing Atlanta, Boston, Los Angeles and New York.
“Innovation and creativity are core to our ESPN mission and TGL will bring those tenets to life for golf fans,” said Rosalyn Durant, ESPN Executive Vice President, Programming and Acquisitions.
“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.”
