The PGA Tour are set to revolutionise their schedule.
Starting in 2028, CEO Brian Rolapp plans to introduce a two-tier format featuring promotion and relegation between two tracks.
The first track will feature the best golf courses and premier PGA Tour events. The players will play for more money on a more prestigious stage. Meanwhile, players on the second track will attempt to earn promotion to the first.
The details of this are yet to be confirmed, but Golf Channel Analyst Smylie Kaufman thinks that this new format will come with a new streaming deal.
Smylie Kaufman expects a new streaming deal for the PGA Tour
Kaufman, speaking on the Smylie show, explained why he thinks a new streaming deal is on the way as the PGA Tour look to draw eyes not only to the first tier of the tour, but to the second.
He said, “Brian Rolapp coming from the NFL, and being a person who dealt uh with all these different networks and really expanded uh the NFL’s reach, going to many different streaming services like Netflix and Amazon, and of course, like the Peacocks of the world of and CBS, I’m sure Paramount has gotten involved in that whole streaming universe with the NFL.
“But now, when you think about Brian Rolapp on what he potentially could do for the PGA Tour on that note, this screams to me that these track two events could potentially have an Amazon or Netflix come in and sponsor these events to continue to grow the overall reach of the PGA Tour.
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“So that’s something that interests me. But are you splitting your audience a little bit, trying to draw away from your premier products? That would be the one question I would have there.”
One of the major flaws to the idea is garnering interest to the second tier, with less known players and golf courses. So making viewership as easy as possible would be a sensible move for the tour.
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