5 golf media stories to watch out for in 2026
Welcome, officially, to golf in 2026.
Of course, it took us an extra week to get into ’26, due to the postponement of the beloved Sentry at Kapalua. But with Jordan Spieth starting the year with five irons in Hawaii for the Sony Open, then admitting that he will be better with 7-wood, we can clearly say that the new year is over and working.
That’s right again a new year for golf friends in the media – a corner of the game that is growing as fast and diverse as any other. It feels like a few years ago that the only talk about golf media revolved around the volume of broadcast ads. Now there are debates to be had on many journeys, many networks and many sectors.
It’s been a busy 2025 for golf media. Beyond the growing ratings and the creation of a new golf league (TGL), there was also big news in Hollywood (where AppleTV debuted A stick, Full Change came back for the third season again Happy Gilmore 2 broken Netflix records) and, of course, on YouTube, where flirting with golf turned into full-blown love.
As we think about the ever-growing nature of golf entertainment, let’s take a look at five stories we’re excited about in 2026.
5. What is more exciting Are you happy?
Happy Gilmore 2 it may be difficult to repeat. The film surpassed even the most optimistic predictions of those in the golf world, becoming one of Netflix’s biggest cinematic releases. always. No other golf movie franchise has it Happy‘s a combination of cult status and celebrity cachet, meaning it will be difficult to repeat Happy’s 2025 fame. But Hollywood is a cyclical business, and successful films often spawn More movies. Could that mean more exposure for golf on the silver screen in 2026? No movies are in development yet, but you can bet our PGA Tour partners at the Pro Shop (who aim to serve as golf’s Hollywood ambassadors) are kicking the tires.
Elsewhere, golf entertainment should be another fun season on television. A stickan AppleTV show starring Owen Wilson, achieved relatively little success Happy Gilmore 2but it’s still getting a second season with Apple’s suits. Full Changeon the other hand, he is expected to return for a fourth season on Netflix, covering all the drama of the season that ended in chaos in Bethpage.
4. Shanksgiving
Johnson Wagner didn’t think his golf career would be seen on social media. Even if he it was necessary saw himself gaining fame on social media, it certainly didn’t look like the version that came in 2024 and 2025, when Wagner became the top expert on live TV.
But fame works in funny ways, and Wagner’s sudden Internet fandom helped generate the biggest boost of her TV career, joining CBS as the No. 3 traveling reporter behind Dottie Pepper and Mark Immelman. CBS doesn’t change staff often, and Wagner represented the network’s biggest talent shakeup in ’26 (following the departure of longtime analyst Ian Baker-Finch and the promotion of longtime reporter Colt Knost to fill that gap). All eyes will be on Wagner as CBS debuts the Farmers Insurance Open.
3. Something old, something new
There are many good reasons to start a new sports league, but there is one incontrovertible truth: your success is only as good as your TV ratings.
For the two new golf leagues (LIV Golf and TGL), 2026 will be an important year for that.
At TGL, the goal is consistency. After an incredibly strong start to the league’s inaugural season in 2025, TGL has seen ratings decline consistently on ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC. Of course, some level of regression was expected after the start of the league, but if TGL can show that its ratings are stable at a level above ESPN’s prime-time average, the league could have an important data point in support of its continued existence.
At LIV, the goal is growth. Saudi-backed upstarts have struggled with changes in both network relationships and competitive positioning over the past four years. As the league aims to achieve global success, the hope is to show the audience of LIV fans in the United States growing slowly and reliably (although the battle, or comparison, with the PGA Tour remains out of the realm of possibility).
2. Bryson, YouTube and the creator economy
Perhaps no golf personality better exemplified YouTube’s new vice grip than Bryson DeChambeau, who suggested he could leave the golf league that paid him a reported $100 million signing bonus and create content full-time if the demands of his contract aren’t met.
Maybe Bryson was just taking his chances in those contract negotiations, but the fact that he could credibly float away from YouTube’s LIV shows the golf club’s strong growth.
I predict that we will see even stronger growth in 2026, with strong winds for established “creators” like Bryson and those who have recently received venture capital, like Good Good Golf. As YouTube passes 2.5 a billion monthly limit of active users by 2025 and revenue on the platform increased by more than 8% YoY, the arrow is still pointed directly at the platform. The golf establishment would be wise not to get left behind.
1. The Return of the “Old” Golf Channel
One media the result from a few years ago that wasn’t on my bingo card? The division of the golf station from its owners NBC Sports.
To be honest, I always felt that GC and NBC were too closely linked to successfully merge into two separate companies – at least, not when Golf Channel and NBC shared talent on the PGA Tour rights. But I was impressed with how the new, independent Golf Channel worked. The new, long-term deal with the DP World Tour makes a lot of sense for both parties, and the network appears to be shaking the waters aggressively for other live golf programming opportunities (such as the network’s expanded LPGA offering in ’26).
For my money, live golf once Live From they are two of the Golf Channel’s most valuable gems. More hours or 2026 could represent a return to the old Golf Channel — and that might not be a bad thing (y’know, like a new network brand).
