Record crowds attend DP World Tour Championship 2023 in Dubai

Tommy Fleetwood of England tees off on the first hole of the DP World Tour Championship on the Earth Course at Jumeirah Golf Estates. (Getty Images Europe)
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Updated 22 November 2023
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Record crowds attend DP World Tour Championship 2023 in Dubai

  • The tournament, won by Nicolai Hojgaard, saw more than 79,000 visitors at Jumeirah Golf Estates

DUBAI: This year’s DP World Tour Championship in Dubai attracted in excess of 79,000 spectators over the course of the event — the most in the 15-year history of the tournament and a more than 14 percent increase on last year.

Record crowds were welcomed on each of the four days of the tournament, which marked the 15th edition of the event, held at Jumeirah Golf Estates in Dubai from Nov. 16-19.

Denmark’s Nicolai Hojgaard won his first Rolex Series title in style with a closing 64, giving him a two-shot victory ahead of Ryder Cup teammates Tommy Fleetwood and Viktor Hovland, and third round leader Matt Wallace. Attendance figures were not the only record to be broken, however, with Wallace also firing an incredible course record 12 under par 60 on day three of the tournament.

Tom Phillips, head of Middle East for the DP World Tour, said: “This year’s DP World Tour Championship was a fantastic success and we’re delighted to have welcomed a record number of spectators over the course of the event, despite challenges with the weather on the Thursday into Friday. This reflects the huge interest in the event’s on- and off-course entertainment offering, as well as the continued growth of golf in the UAE and region.”


LIV Golf signs new broadcast deals in key European markets

Updated 09 January 2026
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LIV Golf signs new broadcast deals in key European markets

  • Multiyear agreement means Viaplay Group will screen all events to viewers in Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Iceland and Finland
  • Separate deal reached for coverage in the UK and Ireland on TNT Sports and the Discovery+ streaming services

LONDON: Viaplay Group signed a new multiyear agreement on Friday to broadcast LIV Golf across the Nordic region, bringing coverage of the global golf league to viewers in Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Iceland and Finland.

Coverage begins this week as the 2026 season gets underway with the LIV Golf Promotions event in Florida from Jan. 9 to 11, where 87 players will compete for three wild card spots. The season proper starts in Saudi Arabia with the ROSHN Group LIV Golf Riyadh tournament from Feb. 4 to 7.

The 2026 season will feature 14 events in 10 countries, including Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore, Mexico, the US, the UK and South Africa.

Peter Norrelund, executive vice president and chief sports and business development officer at Viaplay, said the company had been keeping an eye on LIV Golf since its inception.

“The quality of players on LIV Golf is truly exceptional,” he said. “Since we first broadcast LIV Golf events in 2022, we have followed the league’s development closely and we are very pleased to welcome LIV Golf back to Viaplay.

“The league has continued to evolve, both in terms of sporting level and global appeal, and it offers a distinctive, high-intensity format featuring some of the biggest names in world golf. With LIV Golf returning to our platforms, viewers can look forward to hundreds of additional hours of world-class live golf throughout the season.”

Orjan Olsson, senior vice president of international media rights at LIV Golf, said the league was pleased to be working with Viaplay once again.

“Through Viaplay’s long-standing commitment to delivering premium sports content, golf fans and audiences can expect inside-the-ropes access to elite global stars and emerging golf talent across the game’s most dynamic competition format,” he said.

“Together, we will continue to deliver golf fans access to the sport’s most compelling individual and team storylines, defined by intense rivalries and season-long drama.”

LIV Golf has also signed a new multiyear broadcast agreement with TNT Sports for the UK and Ireland, where all 14 events will be shown live on TNT Sports and the Discovery+ streaming service.

TNT Sports, which is owned by Warner Bros Discovery, plans to provide on-site presentation throughout the season. It takes over from free-to-air UK broadcaster ITV, which covered the 2025 LIV Golf season primarily on its ITVX streaming service.

The 2026 season marks a major change for LIV Golf, as all tournaments will be played over 72 holes instead of the previous 54-hole format. The change has been made so that players can earn official world-ranking points.