A Gentleman’s Showdown: Liv Golf vs. the PGA Tour
- April 4, 2023
- SponsorPulse Staff
Launched in June 2022, it wasn’t long until the rivalry hit the courtroom, with LIV Golf filing lawsuits against the PGA tour for allegedly using its power to stifle competition and punish golfers who defected with the news of its launch.
The countersuit? The PGA tour argued that LIV and its backers, the Saudi Public Investment Fund, wrongly interfered with the PGA’s business by offering millions to players willing to break their contracts.
While the LIV Golf vs. PGA controversy surely warrants its own Drive to Survive-inspired docu-series, SponsorPulse is particularly interested in how fans feel about the historic shakeup.
On Par? Here’s how the PGA tour and LIV Golf measure up:
Our data suggests that while LIV Golf has made a sizable splash in the game, with over 52M engaged, the PGA tour stays winning, boasting over 82M people engaged. When it comes to intensity, however, LIV Golf trails closely behind the veteran PGA tour with 32% and 38% scores, respectively.
Out of all 530 SponsorPulse ranked properties, LIV Golf continues to find its footing, ranking #514. PGA Golf, on the other hand, ranks #143, demonstrating the tour's long standing prestige.
Interestingly, 43% of US residents felt more favorable towards breakaway players who joined LIV, compared to 33% that felt more favorably towards players who refused the leagues enticing offers. Let’s take a closer look at the unique metrics that allow SponsorPulse to develop our rankings:
Closer Look: Crunching the Numbers
Opportunity Score
A SponsorPulse index score that provides an immediate comparison between sponsorship opportunities, accounting for all key metrics.
Shakeup pending. The PGA holds the overall throne on sponsorship ROI with double the opportunity score of rival LIV Golf.
PGA: 16
LIV: 8
Engagement
% of people who have engaged with the property over the past 12 months.
New and evidently notable—LIV Golf trails closely behind the PGA tour when it comes to engaged fans.
PGA: 39%
LIV: 27%
Intensity
% of people who engage with the property on a weekly basis, among engaged.
Keeping up: Fans of LIV Golf engage weekly at a relatively consistent rate as those of the PGA tour.
PGA: 38%
LIV: 32%
Momentum
% of people who expect their interest in the property to grow over the next 12 months, among engaged.
Among engaged fans of both properties, it appears that momentum is close to leveling off.
PGA: 15%
LIV: 10%
Excitement
% of people who are excited about this property, among engaged.
Ride or die? Not quite yet. It appears that only a small percentage of engaged PGA and LIV Golf fans are brimming with excitement about the tours.
PGA: 19%
LIV: 13%
Passion
% of people who have a strong emotional connection to the property, among engaged.
Being the newcomer that it is, LIV Golf has yet to foster a strong emotional connection among its fans. At the same time, only a fraction of engaged PGA fans feel passion towards the tour.
PGA: 10%
LIV: 6%
Purchase Consideration
% of people who are more likely to purchase a brand due to its sponsorship of this property, among engaged.
Room for improvement: With more Americans feeling favorable towards PGA defectors, it’s clear that purchase consideration could grow among LIV-sponsors.
PGA: 8%
LIV: 6%
Favorability
% of people who will be more favorable toward a brand due to its sponsorship of this property, among engaged.
Neck and neck! When it comes to favorability, LIV Golf is keeping the PGA tour on its toes!
PGA: 8%
LIV: 6%
Compare both properties in detail here.
Dive Deeper into the Data with SponsorPulse
Only time will tell who emerges vic-tour-ious in this gentleman’s showdown for the ages—(Sorry, we had to!)
In the meantime, sponsorship marketers can get ahead of the curve by accessing our database of rich consumer insights on the competing golf properties. Create your free account today to get started!
