TNT Sports’ The Match franchise has seen an incredible array of formats through nine entries so far, and now it’s getting yet a new one for its tenth edition. The Match: Superstars will air in primetime on TNT (and be available for streaming on Max) on Thursday, Nov. 21 (the week before Thanksgiving) and Friday, Nov. 22. And it will feature sports and entertainment celebrities, including Bill Murray, Mark Wahlberg, Charles Barkley, Wayne Gretzky, Michael Phelps, Nate Bargatze, Ken Griffey, Jr., and Blake Griffin.
This is not the similar PGA Tour vs. LIV Golf The Showdown (which looks to be a separately-branded event, but one TNT is also airing) on Dec. 17, but rather the next entry in the The Match franchise. So far, that franchise has featured two one-on-one showdowns (Tiger Woods vs. Phil Mickelson and Brooks Koepka vs. Bryson DeChambeau), two events featuring only active athletes from other sports, three featuring combinations of golfers and other athletes, and two featuring just golfers.
Now, we get prominent celebrities and retired athletes dueling at Breakers Country Club in West Palm Beach, Florida, and doing so in a two-night primetime event. Here’s more on the format and the broadcast plans from a release:
The competition format will tee off with two matches of 2-vs.-2 scramble match play for Quarterfinals, with the following pairings:
· Murray/Gretzky vs. Barkley/Griffey
· Wahlberg/Phelps vs. Bargatze/Griffin
The event will conclude with Semifinals and Finals rounds under individual match play, with the winner walking away with a $1 million prize.
Seven-time Emmy Award winner Ernie Johnson will return to host his fifth The Match event and will be joined by 2008 Masters Champion Trevor Immelman who will be making his eighth event appearance as analyst. Two-time Masters Champion Bubba Watson will serve as an on-course correspondent for the first time while Kathryn Tappen will return as course reporter for the fourth time.
Inside the NBA’s Barkley will be making his ninth appearance in the event as a player or commentator with special contributions across both roles for The Match: Superstars.
It’s interesting to see the The Match franchise continue to try new things. And they’ve certainly lined up some prominent names here. We’ll see what kind of ratings this pulls for them.
