TGL, the tech-infused golf league founded by golf icons Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy’s TMRW Sports entertainment venture, has brought in consumer electronics heavyweight Best Buy as a founding partner.
Through a deal unveiled today, the electronics brand also becomes a retail technology partner of the six-team TGL, which is set to get underway in Florida in January.
The founding partnership - TGL's third - includes benefits for Best Buy such as advertising spots, in-competition integration, stadium activation, and digital and social media content. Best Buy joins the series’ other founding partners, Genesis and Businessolver.
GlobalData Sport has valued the Genesis and Businessolver deals at $800,000 and $750,000, respectively.
SoFi, meanwhile, is the series’ presenting partner, and the naming rights partner for the SoFi Center in Palm Beach where the first season of TGL will take place.
The league’s inaugural season is set to begin on January 7, 2025, shown on ESPN and ESPN+ in the US, with initial plans to begin in 2024 having been scrapped due to storm damage to the host venue.
The six TGL teams will have home markets in Atlanta, Boston, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, and Florida.
Last month, meanwhile, golf simulation firm Dryvebox was announced as TGL's mobile golf simulator partner.
Jason Langwell, TMRW Sports’ chief revenue officer, said: “As our third founding partner, Best Buy showcases how TGL is attracting both new and traditional sponsors to its modern approach to golf. And with its fast-paced, prime time matches on ESPN, we aim to attract a wide spectrum of both traditional golf fans, as well as broader sports fans who relate to TGL’s team elements.”
