The Solheim Cup and Ryder Cup both posted big business wins
The GIST: Team Europe is #winning — the golf squad notched historic quadruple wins against Team USA at the Ryder and Solheim Cups this year. The men’s and women’s biennial golf tournaments (usually taking place in alternate years) posted big business wins, and the Solheim Cup seems poised to putt the women's game on a new level.
The Ryder Cup: On the men's side, the 2023 Ryder Cup in Rome, which wrapped up yesterday, is expected to post record revenue, uplifting Europe's golf economy. Sponsors and media entities are also tuning into the golf trend — the tourney saw a 153% sponsorship increase from 2018 under its 15-year, $440M NBC Sports media deal. Plus, 2025 Ryder Cup packages are already selling out like a Taylor Swift concert.
The Solheim Cup: Last month’s women's tourney in Spain set its own share of viewership and attendance records thanks to three years of event promotion. By January, the Solheim Cup had already exceeded $126.8M in media impact, sold more than 50% of its tickets, and sold out the Solheim Pavilion. Believe the hype.
- The cup broke several viewership records on Sky Sports, becoming the most-watched edition in channel history with 734K peak viewers and a 35% increase in average viewership from 2021. While local proximity does entice fans, tickets bought by Americans tripled from 2% to 6% compared to previous years held in Europe.
The potential: Women's golf fandom is growing rapidly across the world — there are more Americans playing golf than ever, especially women and girls, and the 2024 Solheim Cup in Virginia should capitalize on this increasing interest. As more fans in Europe and the U.S. tune into women's golf, they'll take sides in one of the game's greatest rivalries. A real tee party.
