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- TGL events will start in 2024
- Work underway on purpose-built venue in Florida
TMRW Sports, the tech-focused golf venture founded by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy, is working with Next League to deliver the digital elements of its planned TGL competition.
Technology is a cornerstone of TGL, which will comprise a series of one-day stadium events from 2024 featuring some of the world’s leading golfers from the PGA Tour.
As part of a multi-year agreement, Next League will deliver the official website, mobile app and other digital experiences, as well as providing consultancy as TMRW Sports continues with the construction of its ten-acre tech-infused site in Palm Beach, Florida.
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TMRW Sports hopes Next League’s digital expertise and previous experience of working in golf, the firm is already a partner for the PGA Tour and LPGA, will put it in an ideal position to attract digital audiences.
“Next League has demonstrable expertise in delivering leading fan engagement and technology solutions for many of the world’s largest organisations in sports,” said Jon Kropp, TMRW Sports vice president of digital media.
“The Next League team has the experience to help us unlock the new opportunities leveraging the technology of the league and emerging consumer experiences.
“Next League is a trusted technology partner who will help us navigate the complex digital landscape and create a digital experience that meets the needs of an engaged fanbase.”
“Given our extensive expertise working across sport and within golf, we know we are uniquely qualified to help TGL design and deliver experiences that reach golf fans in new and innovative ways,” added Next League chief executive David Nugent. “We are excited to be creating something special with them.”
In addition to Woods and McIlroy, TMRW Sports participants include Jon Rahm, Justin Thomas, Adam Scott, Collin Morikawa, Matt Fitzpatrick, Max Homa, Billy Horschel, Justin Rose and Xander Schauffele.
Other TMRW Sports investors include Formula One drivers Lewis Hamilton, Alex Albon, Lando Norris and Carlos Sainz, as well as the National Basketball Association’s (NBA) Stephen Curry, the National Football League’s (NFL) Josh Allen, Major League Baseball’s (MLB) Trea Turner, the National Hockey League’s (NHL) Sidney Crosby, US soccer star Alex Morgan and tennis icon Venus Williams.
Connect Ventures, 25madison Ventures, Apex Capital, Excel Sports Management and Misfits Gaming Group are also on board.
SportsPro says…
After all the headlines, legal challenges and fly-on-the-wall documentaries, there is plenty of interest in what the PGA Tour has up its sleeve to counter the challenge of the Saudi-backed LIV Golf circuit.
Reforms to the Tour’s structure and a series of ‘elevated events’ are already taking place, but TMRW Sports offers something else entirely. As the two leading figureheads of resistance, Woods and McIlroy’s venture is seen as crucial evidence that golf can modernise, attract new audiences, and provide greater earning opportunities for its leading athletes without the need for external pressure.
Primetime television coverage will be one way of attracting more viewers, but digital platforms will be crucial in reaching demographics that are uninterested in golf or unlikely to watch a linear broadcast of the sport.
With a data-driven virtual course, player microphones, and other interactive elements, there is plenty of material to work with. The challenge is to ensure any digital experience reflects the effort being put into presentation and fans interact with the content.
