The Tiger Woods Effect Remains Strong As TGL Sees Ratings Boost During His Sim League Debut

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TGL's debut broadcast earlier this month put up more-than-respectable ratings numbers, especially given that Tiger Woods nor Rory McIlroy played in the opening week's match. Woods did tee it up in the second week of action, and the ratings prove that the Tiger effect is still very much a real thing.

The debut of the simulator league on ESPN on January 7 drew an average of 919,000 viewers, a 22% uptick from the Pittsburgh - Duke men's college basketball game that preceded it on the network. 

While the debut broadcast didn't quite reach the 1 million mark, Woods helped the league reach that mark on Tuesday night as the broadcast averaged 1 million viewers. Considering that Woods' Jupiter Links team was waxed 12-1 by LA Golf Club, a 1 million viewer average shows plenty were tuning in to strictly watch Woods swing a golf club.

The most-memorable moment from the Jupiter vs. LA match came on the 14th hole when Woods' teammate, Kevin Kisner, skulled a bunker shot that slammed into the flagstick. Interestingly enough, coverage reportedly peaked at 1.1 million viewers just moments before Kisner's viral shot during the 8:30 to 8:45 PM ET window.

Next Tuesday's TGL match will feature 0-1 New York Golf Club led by Xander Schauffele against Atlanta Drive, a team headlined by Justin Thomas.

The ratings from this particular match could end up being the best measurement of people's interest. The entire golf world was intrigued by the debut match given that it was the new, shiny toy on the block. Then you have the second week's match featuring one of the biggest needle movers in sports history in Tiger Woods.

Week 3's match will just be that, a match, so a rating number remotely close to 1 million would have to be looked at as a big-time success if you're the league and ESPN.

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Mark covers all sports at OutKick while keeping a close eye on the world of professional golf. He graduated from the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga before earning his master's degree in journalism from the University of Tennessee. Before joining OutKick, he wrote for various outlets, including SB Nation, The Spun, and BroBible. Mark was also a writer for the Chicago Cubs Double-A affiliate in 2016, when the team won the World Series. He's still waiting for his championship ring to arrive. Follow him on Twitter @itismarkharris.