Did this reporter take a shot at LIV Golf's TV ratings during the WM Phoenix Open?
Shots fired.
LIV Golf's first event of 2025 concluded Saturday, with Adrian Meronk taking the title in Riyadh. The league debuted on Fox Sports this week, with the event taking place under the lights and being broadcast in the morning and into the early afternoon in the United States on FS2 all three days.
When Nielsen released the initial ratings for the broadcast, they were not good. Only 12,000 people tuned in to the first round, but that number may be a bit deceiving. First, FS2 isn't in as many homes as the CW, LIV Golf's old broadcast partner. Second, the event wasn't in primetime. Ratings will also be higher when LIV events are on FS1 and especially Fox, but just how high is to be determined. LIV Golf's first U.S. event on Fox is at Trump Doral in April, a week before the Masters.
Nevertheless, the 12,000 number isn't good. It's way less than the number of people who will attend LIV Golf Adelaide next week, and it's also fewer than the number of people on a certain hole this week.
CBS' Colt Knost and Amanda Balionis were parked out at TPC Scottsdale's par-3 16th hole during the third round of the WM Phoenix Open, and shortly after CBS came on air, Knost took a chance to point out just how many people were on the famous par-3.
Around 24,000 circled around the coliseum here. That's 12,000 times two if my math is right.' - @ColtKnost 😉 pic.twitter.com/q1KiQaClDB
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) February 8, 2025
As mentioned above, the 12,000 number is not positive any way you spin it, but it's also important to note the context of the viewership.
But at a time when golf ratings are down across the board, and LIV continues to try to build a fanbase, a figure like the initial one isn't going to help quiet the naysayers.
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: CBS' Colt Knost takes subtle shot at LIV Golf TV ratings during WM
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