For golf enthusiasts, major championships are revered rites rather than merely competitions. Viewers anticipate flawless coverage that records each swing, putt, and dramatic twist after months of anticipation. Yet, as the 2025 PGA Championship got underway, many golf fans expressed dissatisfaction with the coverage, swiftly turning their enthusiasm into annoyance.
Despite ESPN and CBS promising extensive coverage, fans were left bewildered by baffling programming choices, technical glitches, and a perceived bias in commentary. This comes on the heels of a concerning trend: In 2024, the PGA Championship’s final round on CBS averaged approximately 4.9 million viewers, marking a 10% increase from 2023’s 4.517 million—the lowest since 2008. This underscores the PGA Championship’s continued struggles to draw in and satisfy an audience. So has that trend continued this season, too? Let’s find out about the broadcast debacle.
Taking place in North Carolina from May 15 to 18, the 2025 PGA Championship is anticipated to include the best players in golf. Prominent athletes, including Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schauffele, and Rory McIlroy, who recently won the Masters, are scheduled to play. The responsibility of providing fans worldwide with in-depth coverage falls on ESPN and CBS.
Viewers, however, expressed their displeasure right away. ESPN’s choice to show a little video about Rory McIlroy’s Masters victory during live play was one obvious concern. Many questioned the timing, as they thought it took away from the live action. Technical issues further ruined the viewing experience. ESPN’s coverage was marred by audio problems, which resulted in complaints about the uneven sound quality. Furthermore, Canadian viewers complained that it was difficult to follow the fast-paced action because TSN’s coverage on TSN+ was shown in slow motion.
The apparent slant in the reportage was another topic of criticism. Supporters believed that ESPN gave Rory McIlroy too much attention, with lengthy segments showcasing him at the range and little focus on other athletes. Additionally, viewers expressed dissatisfaction with ESPN’s limited attention to LIV Golf players, pointing out that the network never addressed or featured these opponents. But it wasn’t just criticism in passing—golf fans erupted online, flooding social platforms with scathing real-time reactions.
Fans React: Social media erupts over broadcast blunders
The criticism came quickly and strongly. Fans vented their annoyance at the coverage on social networking sites. A viewer wrote, “Excuse me @espn there is live golf being played right now at the @PGAChampionship but instead you’re interrupting coverage to show me a short film about Rory at the Masters?????” Another viewer expressed disapproval at the excessive focus on McIlroy, saying, “ESPN golf coverage is hard to watch because of how much they shove Rory McIlroy down your throat. I want to watch golf, not Rory on the range.” Some probable reasons for this focused coverage attention on McIlroy could be his recent Masters triumph that completed his career Grand Slam, his previous dominant Quail Hollow record, and his duel with Scheffler, placing McIlroy at the 2025 PGA forefront.
One recurrent subject was technical challenges. The comment “@espn @PGATOURLIVE fix the audio!!” highlighted the ongoing audio issues during the program. “@TSNHelp Your PGA Championship coverage on TSN+ is coming in slow motion.. All of them!” Pointing to the sluggish feed on TSN+, another viewer commented.
Another point of contention was the absence of coverage for LIV Golf players. “ESPN barely covers or talks about LIV Golf,” an individual said, implying that the network’s coverage is discriminatory. The most straightforward but bold criticism was probably provided by a disgruntled fan who tweeted, “@espn Show golf.” This summarizes the familiar feeling: fans tuned in to see the event, not biased coverage or unimportant material. Whether ESPN and CBS will resolve these issues and modify their programming to better cater to the devoted golf audience is still up in the air as the event goes on.
