The Showdown ft. Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler marked second-lowest viewership numbers in "The Match" series: Reports
The Showdown, featuring some of the world’s best golfers, marked the second-lowest viewership numbers in "The Match" series. The recently concluded made-for-the-TV event had many looking forward to it as it featured PGA Tour players going up against LIV Golfers.
There were high expectations that it would draw major numbers from golf audiences. However, the event, which concluded on December 17, could only draw 625K viewers across the two networks it was streamed on, TNT and TBS.
As reported by golf journalist Josh Carpenter, The Showdown received the second-lowest total of viewers in "The Match" series. Carpenter shared a post on X (formerly Twitter), writing:
"The ballyhooed Crypto Showdown, the event the entire golf world had been clamoring for, drew a whopping 625k viewers across two networks (TNT/TBS) on Tuesday. For comparison, that would rank as the second-lowest total ever in “The Match” series."
The Match is an exhibition golf series that was started in 2018. The first edition was held between Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods.
Who won The Showdown 2024?
Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy registered an easy win at The Showdown. They were impressive throughout the match, taking the early lead and wrapping up the game in 14 holes to secure the victory at the Showdown Creek Golf Course in Las Vegas. The players were awarded $5 million each in cryptocurrency.
Speaking after the victory, McIlroy said (via BBC),
"We're super happy to get the win. It's a nice way to finish the year. Scottie and I got off to a pretty good start and then from there it was just about trying to keep the momentum."
Rory McIlroy also played in the ninth edition of "The Match," held at the start of 2024. That event featured Lexi Thompson, Rose Zhang, and Max Homa, alongside McIlroy. The Northern Irish golfer registered a victory in that event as well.
Meanwhile, Scottie Scheffler made his debut in "The Match" series with a victory. Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka have also played in past events and both tasted victories.
Here are the winners of "The Match" over the years:
Tiger vs. Phil
- Date: November 23, 2018
- Winner: Phil Mickelson
- Opponent: Tiger Woods
Champions For Charity
- Date: May 24, 2020
- Winners: Tiger Woods and Peyton Manning
- Opponents: Phil Mickelson and Tom Brady
Champions For Change
- Date: November 27, 2020
- Winners: Phil Mickelson and Charles Barkley
- Opponents: Stephen Curry and Peyton Manning
The Match IV
- Date: July 6, 2021
- Winners: Bryson DeChambeau and Aaron Rodgers
- Opponents: Phil Mickelson and Tom Brady
Bryson vs. Brooks
- Date: November 26, 2021
- Winner: Brooks Koepka
- Opponent: Bryson DeChambeau
Brady/Rodgers vs. Allen/Mahomes
- Date: June 1, 2022
- Winners: Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers
- Opponents: Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes
The Match VII
- Date: December 10, 2022
- Winners: Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas
- Opponents: Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods
The Match VIII
- Date: June 29, 2023
- Winners: Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce
- Opponents: Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson
The Match IX
- Date: February 26, 2024
- Winner: Rory McIlroy
- Opponents: Lexi Thompson, Max Homa, Rose Zhang
The Match Superstars
- Date: November 22, 2024
- Winner: Wayne Gretzky
- Opponent: Michael Phelps
The Showdown
- Date: December 17, 2024
- Winners: Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler
- Opponents: Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka