The eighth edition of The Match is set to take place Thursday evening at the Wynn Golf Club in Las Vegas, with Steph Curry and Klay Thompson taking on Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce. It’s been quite the run for the series, which started as a pay-per-view (although technical issues there led to the PPV price being refunded) for the first one (which featured Tiger Woods and Phil Mickleson going head-to-head). It then switched mostly to a team format (except for the fifth edition) and airings on the linear cable networks owned by what’s now Warner Bros. Discovery after that.
Ahead of Thursday’s broadcast, which starts at 6:30 p.m. ET on TNT, The Match creator Bryan Zuriff spoke to AA by email on a variety of aspects of the event. Perhaps most notably, he talked about what led to that decision to go from the PPV model used for the first event (in November 2018) to cable for the second one (in May 2020). Zuriff said that move made sense based on both brands’ desire to participate and audience interest in a linear, non-PPV broadcast.
“Brands wanted to get in, and when you do PPV, you can’t be sponsored by a brand,” Zuriff said. “We also realized that we got a lot of backlash for charging people for watching golf, which is normally free. …You learn from your pilot, your first one, so we realized quickly that we needed to switch to a brand-sponsored event, and we were able to do that. [And] Capital One has been a tremendous partner for every edition of The Match since we turned to cable for The Match: Champions for Charity in 2020.”
He said that second event, held amidst pandemic challenges, was what really took The Match to another level.
“The second Match was an absolute game-changer for our brand, propelling us to unprecedented heights. Amidst the challenging backdrop of the pandemic, it captivated the nation’s attention and made history as the highest-rated golf event in cable history. The overwhelming response and support we received were truly remarkable.”
Zuriff said another big change from the first to the second event was shifting from a purse for the winner to a fundraising event for charity, which he said wound up being very well-received.
“Not only did the event garner an enormous viewership, but it also had a profound impact on our fundraising efforts. In a single day, we managed to raise over $20 million. The incredible success of the second Match not only solidified our position as a leading force in the golfing world, but also allowed us to make a substantial and tangible difference.”
Zuriff said he always thought that The Match might be a potential long-running series. But he said the focus at the start was just getting the first one right. He said that fits in with his background as a producer, which has included work on Ray Donovan, Escape at Dannemora, and more.
“When it comes to production, creating the pilot is often the most challenging part of a project. The highly-anticipated match between Tiger and Phil served as our pilot, laying the foundation for future matchups. However, our overarching objective from the very beginning was to establish a recurring event, with two matches scheduled each year, strategically aligning with key dates in the sports calendar. This approach was driven by our unwavering commitment to expanding the reach and popularity of the game of golf.”
He said the focus leading up to the second event was on building on the first one, and setting up for that regular twice-a-year schedule.
“With the Tiger and Phil match serving as a proof of concept, we aimed to leverage its success to propel our vision forward. By establishing a regular schedule of captivating matchups, we sought to create sustained momentum and captivate fans year-round. The intention was to showcase the dynamic and thrilling nature of golf, attracting new audiences and reigniting the passion of existing fans.”
Zuriff said the concept came from watching skins golf growing up and wanting to make a head-to-head skins match between top players. He said they got Mickelson on board first, then turned to Woods.
“I was a big fan of the Skins game growing up and so I naturally wanted to recreate something like that. I pitched the concept to Phil Mickelson and proposed the idea of him playing Tiger for $10 million heads up in Las Vegas at Shadow Creek.”
And Zuriff’s Hollywood connections came in handy in raising the money needed to get Woods on board.
“In order to get Tiger signed for the first match, I had to show him how serious we were about making this happen,” he said. “I independently raised $15 million from an investor to finance the event, which paved the way for Tiger’s participation and gave us the necessary resources to deliver an unparalleled experience and bring the vision to life.”
He said WBD has been a perfect broadcasting partner, with the mix of fun and serious discussion they bring to studio shows like Inside The NBA and NHL On TNT Face Off also the right tone for The Match.
“They have the right tone and style in the way they produce sports. This is essentially a show, just like their Emmy Award-winning series Inside the NBA. This is Inside Golf. …The Turner team does an incredible job in executing the vision of The Match.”
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The sixth edition of the franchise (Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers versus Josh Allen and Mahomes) and this one have featured athletes from other sports. Zuriff said the The Match team hasn’t really been too concerned about the LIV Golf/PGA Tour fight, though. And he said the selections have just been about spotlighting big names viewers want to see, whether inside or outside professional golf.
“That hasn’t been our focus,” he said. “The vision of The Match is about putting the biggest stars on the biggest stage and bringing more eyes to the incredible sport of golf. We want to grow the sport globally and give back and raise money for charity in the process.”
He said regardless of what happens with the PGA Tour and LIV Golf, they’re not ruling anyone out as a future The Match competitor.
“We’re open to talking to anyone who shares the vision of a bigger future for the game of golf.”
And Zuriff said some of the decisions about whether to use golfers or other athletes are simply about the calendar.
“During the winter season, most major American sports are in season. So in order to do a winter edition, we need, normally, just professional golfers. In the summer, there’s a window when the NBA and the NFL are in their off-season, so we like to find the biggest names in sports who are passionate about golf for those editions. Sometimes we may partner them with professional golfers, and sometimes we may just have them go alone. This depends on if we can find the right matchup and situations where I think we have the best matchup and where the fans are going to enjoy the experience.”
He said he can’t pick a favorite amongst the editions of The Match so far, but he is excited for what this edition’s participants will bring.
“This year’s competitors are championship-winning duos from different leagues. We’ve got Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes and tight end Travis Kelce up against Warriors stars Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. They’re the top stars in football and basketball. They’re teammates, competitors, and some of the biggest names in their sports. And—most importantly here—they’re united by their love of the game of golf, and we know they’ll help bring more eyes to the sport.”
Zuriff said this is a hard one to handicap, too.
“Who’s going to win? I really can’t tell! Steph’s a phenomenal golfer, Klay’s unproven but working on his game, Patrick is really solid and Travis hits the ball out of the park. It’s going to be interesting to see who’s going to win in that scenario.”
And Zuriff said there are plans to keep going with The Match as long as audiences are interested.
“I look forward to continuing the tradition of doing two matches per year, for as long as the audience continues to enjoy what we do.”
The eighth edition of The Match will air on TNT Thursday beginning at 6:30 p.m. ET.
