The tenure of Craig Kessler, the new commissioner of the LPGA Tour, is starting to gain momentum. Just a few weeks ago, he surprised everyone with the announcement of the circuit’s first-ever tournament sponsored by the Public Investment Fund (PIF) of Saudi Arabia. Now, the second impact arrives: a substantial improvement in the television broadcasts of the women’s circuit from 2026 onwards. In the United States, it must be said.
The LPGA has announced a multi-year agreement with FM, along with Golf Channel and Trackman, with the aim of enhancing the television experience of women’s golf in North America. It is a large-scale investment that will multiply the production quality and place each tournament at a standard befitting major events.
For the first time since Golf Channel began televising the LPGA in 1995, all rounds of all tournaments will be broadcast live across the country, with some weekend rounds also on CNBC. There will be 50% more cameras, more slow-motion cameras, three times more microphones, extended use of drones, and a clear focus on content that brings the audience closer to the players. Walk-and-talks with players and caddies will even be regularly incorporated.
The technical revolution also comes hand in hand with Trackman. Thanks to FM’s investment, the coverage will feature four times more ball tracings than in 2025. Virtually every camera in a tracing position will provide real-time information on the shape and control of the flight. FM will also become the new official partner of the LPGA and will strengthen a relationship initiated in 2024 as the sponsor of the FM Championship, the tournament with the largest purse on the circuit outside of the Majors.
