Report: Viewing Figures For The Showdown Lower Than Most Editions Of The Match
The Las Vegas contest, which saw PGA Tour stars play LIV golfers, reportedly had relatively disappointing viewing figures across two networks that broadcast it


One of the most high-profile contests of the calendar took place earlier in the week with The Showdown.
In it, PGA Tour superstars Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy took on two of the biggest names on LIV Golf’s roster, Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka, at Shadow Creek Golf Club in Las Vegas.
That set up an intriguing match as it offered one of the few times outside the four Majors where players from the rival circuits have come together since the emergence of LIV Golf in 2022.
Overall, the head-to-head between the two teams perhaps wasn’t as closely contested as the organizers would have hoped for, with the PGA Tour duo comfortably winning all three sessions.
However, the matchplay contest still offered a tantalizing glimpse of what could transpire more often if a deal on the future of the men’s elite game is agreed upon by the PGA Tour and the Saudi Public Investment Fund that bankrolls LIV Golf.
While there was plenty of hype surrounding the match since it was confirmed in October, per Sports Business Journal’s Josh Carpenter, it doesn’t appear to have translated to bumper TV viewing figures.
He has revealed on X that the match drew an underwhelming 625,000 viewers across two networks, TNT and TBS, which broadcast the action.
Get the Golf Monthly Newsletter
Subscribe to the Golf Monthly newsletter to stay up to date with all the latest tour news, equipment news, reviews, head-to-heads and buyer’s guides from our team of experienced experts.
Carpenter then added context, writing: “For comparison, that would rank as the second-lowest total ever in The Match, series."
The ballyhooed Crypto Showdown, the event the entire golf world had been clamoring for, drew a whopping 625k viewers across two networks (TNT/TBS) on Tuesday.For comparison, that would rank as the second-lowest total ever in “The Match” series pic.twitter.com/yx1tnYBUn0December 21, 2024
The Match began in 2018 at the same venue, with a head-to-head between Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, and it has regularly attracted more than a million viewers.
For example, of the available figures, one of two 2020 editions, The Match: Champions for Charity, which again featured Woods and Mickelson alongside NFL legends Peyton Manning and Tom Brady, drew a US average of 5.8 million.
However, February’s The Match IX, played between Max Homa, McIlroy, Lexi Thompson and Rose Zhang, attracted just 511,000 TV viewers to the coverage on TNT, TruTV and HLN.
While The Showdown, which was also broadcast on TruTV, saw an uptick on that figure, it will still likely be regarded as something of a disappointment.
The Showdown saw PGA Tour players and LIV golfers come together
The news comes after a mixed year of viewing figures for high-profile tournaments. For example, while an average of 2.8 million people tuned in to watch Sunday's action across the regular PGA Tour season, the figure was still around 20% lower than the previous year when excluding the four Majors.
Meanwhile, there was a substantial drop once the FedEx Cup Fall section of the PGA Tour season began, with an average of just 69,000 people tuning in to the Golf Channel to watch Patton Kizzire win September's Procore Championship.
Previously, both DeChambeau and McIlroy have voiced their concerns over the disappointing viewing figures amid the division at the top of the men’s professional game.
Before April’s LIV Golf Miami, DeChambeau said an agreement needs to happen “fast” as “too many people are losing interest,” while ahead of the Valero Texas Open the same month, McIlroy said: “I know this isn’t a be-all, end-all, but if you look at the TV ratings of the PGA Tour this year, they’re down 20 percent across the board. That’s a fifth. That’s big.”
On the plus side, DeChambeau and McIlroy’s US Open tussle, which saw the LIV Golf star claim victory, led to an 11-year NBC record, with the overall final-round coverage producing a Total Audience Delivery of 5.9m viewers in a seven-hour window.
Mike has over 25 years of experience in journalism, including writing on a range of sports throughout that time, such as golf, football and cricket. Now a freelance staff writer for Golf Monthly, he is dedicated to covering the game's most newsworthy stories.
He has written hundreds of articles on the game, from features offering insights into how members of the public can play some of the world's most revered courses, to breaking news stories affecting everything from the PGA Tour and LIV Golf to developmental Tours and the amateur game.
Mike grew up in East Yorkshire and began his career in journalism in 1997. He then moved to London in 2003 as his career flourished, and nowadays resides in New Brunswick, Canada, where he and his wife raise their young family less than a mile from his local course.
Kevin Cook’s acclaimed 2007 biography, Tommy’s Honour, about golf’s founding father and son, remains one of his all-time favourite sports books.
-
'I Think We All Hoped It Would Have Been A Little Further Long, And That's No Secret' - Brooks Koepka's Echoes Recent Tough Love Towards LIV Golf
The five-time Major champion said progress is being made with the PIF-backed circuit after stating it was "quite far behind" its rivals on The Joe Pomp Show
By Jonny Leighfield Published
-
How You Can Play St Andrews Old Course In Reverse
You can win a tee time on the 'reversed' Old Course at St Andrews next year by shooting the lowest gross score over the virtual links this April
By Elliott Heath Published
-
'I Think We All Hoped It Would Have Been A Little Further Long, And That's No Secret' - Brooks Koepka's Echoes Recent Tough Love Towards LIV Golf
The five-time Major champion said progress is being made with the PIF-backed circuit after stating it was "quite far behind" its rivals on The Joe Pomp Show
By Jonny Leighfield Published
-
'The First True Legend Of The Post-Tiger Woods Era' - NBC Analysts Pile Pressure On McIlroy With Bold Claims About His Masters Chances
NBC Sports analysts Rich Lerner, Paul McGinley and Brandel Chamblee revealed they all have the highest expectations for McIlroy at The Masters in 2025
By Jonny Leighfield Published
-
PGA Tour Pro Confirms Which Tournaments Will Feature Rangefinders
Michael Kim has confirmed that rangefinders will be in use for the PGA Tour events between The Masters and PGA Championship, with the aim to help the pace of play
By Matt Cradock Published
-
'He’s Over There And We Only See Him Four Or Five Times A Year, And It’s Disappointing For All Of Us' - Curtis Strange Claims Joaquin Niemann 'Needs' To Be On The PGA Tour
Niemann has started 2025 in phenomenal fashion thanks to two victories on the LIV Golf League in three starts. However, Strange believes he should be back on the PGA Tour
By Matt Cradock Published
-
Alejandro Tosti Fires Back After Slow Play Accusation At Houston Open
Tosti has responded to claims that he was deliberately playing slowly to put off playing partner, Min Woo Lee, during the final round of the Texas Children's Houston Open
By Matt Cradock Published
-
Rory McIlroy's Masters Odds Slashed Despite Northern Irishman Complaining Of Minor Elbow Issue
The Northern Irishman is being heavily backed by golf fans in the United Kingdom and Ireland ahead of his latest attempt at completing the career Grand Slam
By Jonny Leighfield Published
-
PGA Tour Pro Wraps Up Masters Spot In Incredibly Tight Affair
Michael Kim edged out Ben Griffin to qualify for The Masters via his world ranking following a tense battle between the pair in the Houston Open
By Mike Hall Published
-
Gary Woodland Produces Best PGA Tour Finish Since Return From Brain Surgery
The 2019 US Open champion had brain surgery to remove a benign tumor in 2023, with a T2 at the Texas Children's Houston Open his best finish since returning at the start of last year
By Mike Hall Published