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LPGA watches NFL and PGA Tour talks as media-rights decisions approach

Commissioner Craig Kessler says the tour is preparing for several outcomes before its broadcast agreements expire in 2030.

By TSP Staff
Nelly Korda follows through from a fairway bunker during the 2026 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.
Nelly Korda plays from a fairway bunker in the third round of the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship in Chaska, Minnesota, on June 27, 2026. File photograph. · Credit: Matt Krohn / Imagn Images

The LPGA is watching the NFL’s and PGA Tour’s next media negotiations as it prepares for decisions about its own broadcast future, commissioner Craig Kessler said at the Front Office Sports Tuned In summit.

The women’s tour’s current agreements run through 2030 and are tied to the PGA Tour’s television arrangements, FOS reported Wednesday. Kessler said the LPGA is working with external advisers to prepare for different outcomes.

The timing matters because the PGA Tour could seek new terms early, while a more expensive round of NFL contracts could affect the money broadcasters have available for other sports.

Kessler pointed to audience growth as part of the LPGA’s case. Across networks and time slots, broadcasts averaged 200,000 viewers through September, compared with 150,000 in 2025, according to FOS. NBC’s coverage of Nelly Korda’s U.S. Women’s Open victory drew 1.3 million.

The comments describe preparations for future negotiations. They do not announce a new LPGA rights agreement or a change to where existing tournaments are available.

Sources and notes

  1. Kessler’s remarks and audience figures were reported by Front Office Sports from its Tuned In summit.