The PGA TOUR is Scaling Back The Worst Part of Its Broadcasts: Commercials

One thing is for sure, fans of golf who watch PGA TOUR tournaments each week are going to be happy about an upcoming change being made at this weekend’s Arnold Palmer Invitational: fewer commercials.

The TOUR announced on Tuesday that it would show fewer commercials for this weekend’s tournament in an effort to show the importance of its “Fan Forward Initiative,” a big way it is combatting a drop of viewership.

In a press release, the TOUR says it will remove commercials in favor of more segments focused on the interaction between player and caddie:

PGA Tour announces fewer commercials during this week’s API broadcast on NBC/GC. Extra time will go toward highlighting more player/caddie convos. pic.twitter.com/ZW79Dfts46

— Brentley Romine (@BrentleyGC) March 4, 2025

The release says:

“Viewers will notice fewer commercials within the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard broadcast, with time repurposed for live golf segments focused on the player-caddie interaction. Storytelling elements and statistics highlighting what a player is facing in the moment will be delivered via graphics as opposed to announcers to maintain the focus on the player and caddie conversations and their point of view from the field of play. This broadcast initiative debuts thanks to NBC/GOLF Channel and the TOUR as sponsored by Mastercard, and is one of many examples of the TOUR working to respond to fan feedback in creative ways.”

Perhaps one of the most persistent parts of watching a golf tournament is the appearance of so many commercials. It has been a major problem, along with some other nitpicks of viewers, for some time. 

The big issue is the broadcasts are still not very in tune with what fans and regular viewers want. Ideally, groups with big names should be shown more often than others, but many golf fans will argue that this does not happen very often.

Hopefully, this is the start of a move in the right direction for the PGA TOUR’s broadcasts.

Cover Image via ESPN