Will Tiger Woods' TGL Comeback Drive Up Rights Fees? ESPN Negotiations Under the Spotlight

Tiger Woods' participation in the TGL Finals on Tuesday night comes at a crucial time, coinciding with the expiration of TGL's two-season TV deal with ESPN.

Both sides appear happy with their partnership, but TGL will seek top dollar in negotiations. ESPN will have the chance to re-up during an exclusive window, but if no deal is reached, TGL can negotiate with other bidders, such as Golf Channel and Scripps Sports.

Additionally, the new women's golf league, WTGL, is seeking its own media deal before its launch in November or December.

Both Woods and Rory McIlroy, the current Masters champion, are investors in TGL, and the prospect of seeing Woods regularly playing for his team, Jupiter Links, could increase the value of the rights.

One source notes that negotiations are based on two scenarios: one with Woods active and playing, and the other with Woods injured, acting as a spectator.

Matt Barrie, an ESPN anchor, has said that Woods not only moves the needle on audiences, but he is the needle, despite being almost 50 years old and having his last major championship victory at the 2019 Masters.

A source warns that betting millions of dollars on rights based on the health of Woods, already aging and injured, could be risky.

The 15-time major championship winner nearly had his right leg amputated after a 2021 car crash, and has undergone a dozen surgeries throughout his career.

In addition, there is the pride factor: Woods has stated that he will not play if he does not believe he can win, which raises doubts about his willingness to compete on the simulated golf courses of TGL, especially if he does not perform well.

In his return to competitive golf, Woods had highlights, such as a 318-yard shot, but also missed a crucial putt.

His team, Jupiter, was defeated by Justin Rose's Los Angeles GC in the Finals.

Woods expressed his frustration with his team's performance, mentioning the lack of response and a missed putt at the beginning that took away their momentum.

A sports media expert, who prefers to remain anonymous, doubts that Woods' return will significantly raise TGL's fees.

While acknowledging Woods' influence, he is not sure that his recent performance will change the landscape dramatically.

Attention is now focused on whether Woods will participate in the Masters, after missing last year's tournament.

Woods has expressed his desire to play, but recognizes that his body does not recover like before.

Regardless of his participation as a player, he plans to attend the Masters and is involved in the opening of a short course he designed, The Loop at the Patch, at the Augusta Municipal Golf Course.

His presence at the Masters, whether playing or attending, would guarantee an increase in viewership for ESPN and Amazon Prime Video, which have coverage in the early rounds, and for CBS, which begins its coverage on Saturday, if Woods makes the cut.