GOLF
How did the Solheim Cup TV ratings compare to LIV golf on Saturday and Sunday?
On Sunday alone, the biennial women’s international tournament attracted 657K viewers, seven times more than the Saudi-backed men’s golf alternative league.
The most interesting fact about the headline description is that the Solheim Cup concluded at approximately 2:45 p.m. ET on Sunday. At the same time, LIV Golf Chicago finished at 6:05 p.m. ET, meaning they didn’t directly compete.
When the Nielsen ratings for the weekend were released, they revealed that the ratings for LIV Golf during its championship at LIV Golf Chicago were among the lowest of the season. Just 89,000 viewers tuned in to watch Jon Rahm clinch the title on Sunday.
Nonetheless, the second round on Saturday, which LIV Golf touted as its highest-attended round in the United States ever, attracted 134,000 TV viewers. For comparison, the Solheim Cup managed to gather mid-600k viewership on both days of the weekend competitions.
On Sunday, the viewership for the 15½-12½ American victory, marking their first win since 2017, averaged 657,000 viewers on NBC. This is almost a 240% increase compared to the 277,000 viewers who tuned in to Golf Channel during the earlier coverage window 2023. During the Andalucian event, the teams tied 14-14, allowing Europe to retain the Cup.
Also, three years ago at Inverness, where Europe secured a victory on Labor Day Monday, Golf Channel had 588,000 viewers.
Fans are losing interest in discussions about the PGA Tour versus LIV and the efforts to reunite top players. LIV’s TV ratings have not improved, and competing with college football and the NFL on any given Sunday or Saturday makes it hard to attract viewers.
Despite golfers being highly paid—Rahm earned $22 million for his win on Sunday—it’s unlikely that fan interest will change as LIV and the Public Investment Fund plan for the future.