The PGA Tour’s 2025 Players Championship was a major success, drawing impressive TV ratings and strong fan engagement. The tournament’s high viewership didn’t go unnoticed by TV analyst Brandel Chamblee, who took the opportunity to criticize LIV Golf’s struggles with viewership.
Chamblee Points Out LIV’s Low Ratings
Josh Carpenter from the Sports Business Journal shared the TV ratings for the Players Championship on X, noting that the Monday playoff between Rory McIlroy and J.J. Spaun attracted 1.5 million viewers across TV and digital platforms from 9-10 a.m. ET—a remarkable number for that time of day on cable.
Chamblee quickly responded, not focusing on the PGA Tour’s success but instead highlighting LIV Golf’s poor ratings. He posted, “Compare this to LIV’s finale last year that concluded in prime time on the east coast with Rahm winning… which drew 55,000 viewers. People tune in to sports that matter.”
Jon Rahm secured the 2024 LIV Individual title at LIV Golf Chicago, but Chamblee’s numbers were slightly off. The second round of that event pulled in 134,000 viewers, while the final round had 89,000—still far below the Players Championship ratings.
LIV Golf aired on the CW network last year but has since signed a new deal with Fox Sports. Despite the shift, viewership has remained low. The final round of LIV Golf Riyadh this season drew only 54,000 average viewers on FS1, which may have been the figure Chamblee was referencing.
Criticism Toward LIV Players
Chamblee didn’t stop there. Responding to another post from Carpenter, which reported that the Players Championship averaged 3.6 million viewers on Sunday (up from 3.5 million the previous year) with a peak of 6.2 million viewers, Chamblee delivered a sharp critique.
“The PGA Tour is thriving, and LIV is slowly fading,” Chamblee posted. “LIV players have seller’s remorse. They want the credibility and respect that comes from competing at the highest level, but their choice to join LIV shows they prioritized money over merit. Now they’re trying to gain the credibility they lost.”
Chamblee’s comments highlight the growing divide between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf as both leagues continue to battle for relevance and audience attention.
