The PGA Tour unveiled a two-series competitive model Tuesday, debuting in 2028. CEO Brian Rolapp said the overhaul strengthens the Tour’s position for upcoming media rights talks.
What We Know: The model splits players into two tiers: the Championship Series and the Challenger Series. Promotion and relegation will connect them, beginning in 2028. The Championship Series targets roughly 15 events, $20 million purses, and 120-player fields. Meanwhile, the Challenger Series features at least 20 events with $4 million purses. The PGA Tour media rights agreement with CBS and Disney ends in 2031, while the tour’s agreements with NBC and USA Sports extend till 2033.
What They Said: PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp says new formats introduced in 2028 will put PGA Tour is a better position for media rights discussions: “I think the demand for live sports programming is still at an all-time high, but not all live sports program is the same. You need to compete in the distribution options and the financial backing or rights fees available are not limitless, so you need to innovate and be the best you can. I believe these changes put us in a much better position to compete with all of the alternatives that any media partner has for their programming dollars.”
What Remains Unclear: Several details remain open, including which tournaments join each series. The Tour is eyeing new markets like New York, Boston, and Denver. Postseason specifics, including a new match-play Tour Championship, arrive early next year. Furthermore, the Tour’s next media partners stay unconfirmed.
What It Means: With the tours media agreements ending in the coming years, Rolapp is not waiting for the deadline. He’s wanting to provide media partners something new and flashy that could attract added media rights dollars. This is a smart play by the new tour CEO as the media rights for the NFL, his former employer, are taking center stage. Live sports is the most attractive content streaming platforms want access to. Rolapp just provided a new option for the better health of the PGA Tour long term.
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John Mamola is Barrett Media’s sports editor and daily sports columnist. He brings over two decades of experience (Chicago, Tampa/St Petersburg) in the broadcast industry with expertise in brand management, sales, promotions, producing, imaging, hosting, talent coaching, talent development, web development, social media strategy and design, video production, creative writing, partnership building, communication/networking with a long track record of growth and success. He is a five-time recognized top 20 program director in a major market via Barrett Medi’s Top 20 series and has been honored internally multiple times as station/brand of the year (Tampa, FL) and employee of the month (Tampa, FL) by iHeartMedia. Connect with John by email at John@BarrettMedia.com.
