As 2024 comes to a close and we look towards 2025, we see the launch of two exciting leagues is right around the corner. But will they have what it takes to succeed? I think yes and here’s why:
1. Player Support
Player Support is essential to success because happy players = engaged players, and engaged players = engaged fans. Both TGL and Unrivaled are accomplishing this with season timing, monetary incentives, and the excitement of being part of something new.
No one wants to be taking cross-country flights every week so TGL curated its game calendar to fit in with the players’ tour schedule. With the season January - March, it’s not a long time commitment, and with the teams vying for a $21M purse, there’s a strong financial incentive too. On top of carefully-planned timing & potential winnings, the players are excited to be part of a completely new way to compete at the highest level while bringing fans a new experience.
Unrivaled is also taking place January - March and whereas TGL had to plan around the PGA Tour, Unrivaled is leaning into the off-season and giving players an alternative to European ball. Not only is Unrivaled giving players this alternative with highly-competitive games, it’s also player-owned, offering equity opportunities to players participating in its inaugural season.
Happy Players = Engaged Players. Engaged Players = Engaged Fans.
Funding on its own doesn' t guarantee success, but when you look at WHO is supporting these leagues, that’s what makes the difference.
By now most people know Tiger Woods & Roy McIlroy founded TGL with TMRW Sports and that Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier co-founded Unrivaled, but on top of that both leagues have a stacked cap table consisting of institutional support from VCs, veterans in the sports business industry, and athletes/celebrities. This combo will give each league guidance through experience & the star-power needed to not just make a splash, but have staying power. In addition, the PGA owns a stake in TGL, creating a supportive relationship between the two. As for Unrivaled, its media partner, TNT, is an equity partner, meaning it has a vested interest in the league’s success.
Of course, even the best-funded leagues need eyes on the game - and that’s where media partnerships come into play.
Not to rehash the classic “if a tree falls in the woods does it make a sound?” debate, but if an event isn’t easily accessible, it will definitely have financial repercussions. However, this does not seem to be a problem for the two new leagues as TGL will be available on ESPN/ESPN+ and Unrivaled will be available on TNT, truTV, and Max. It’ll be interesting to see how the two leagues supplement the live games with their own content. Maybe they’ll have their celebrity partners livestream the games while engaging with their own followers to help bring in new fans!
With attention spans dropping—sports viewership among younger audiences has shifted toward bite-sized, fast-paced formats. TGL and Unrivaled are tapping into this perfectly.
Both leagues have struck the impossibly hard balance of bringing something new & exciting to established & traditional sports. By leaning into established sports, there are already built-in fanbases and well-known players. However, they’re bringing enough of a twist to keep those fans engaged and bring in new ones.
TGL has created a never-before-attempted stadium golf match format featuring top players on the Tour in a competitive 6-team format. Unrivaled created a 3 v. 3 league with 30 incredibly talented players on a compressed full court, which will make the games extremely fast-paced. With TGL matches ~2 hours and Unrivaled having 28-minutes of play during 1-hr broadcast windows will also attract casual fans as the time commitment isn’t the same as watching a full-day of golf or a multi-hour basketball broadcast.
With smart player incentives, strong funding, strategic media deals, and an innovative approach to two beloved sports, TGL and Unrivaled are primed for success.
What do you think? Will these leagues find success in 2025 and the years ahead? What are other drivers that will lead to the outcome of these leagues?
