If our recent survey showed that golfers still love watching professional golf, it also revealed that they are increasingly choosing to watch golf on YouTube.
More than 800 golfers took part in the survey and, while traditional tournament coverage remains popular, YouTube has become an essential part of how golfers now consume the game.
Among those who watch golf on YouTube, 69% now watch every week, rising to an incredible 91% of golfers under the age of 45.
The findings suggest YouTube is not replacing television. Instead, it is providing golfers with something traditional broadcasting simply cannot.
Golf Whenever You Want It
One of the biggest differences between television and YouTube is flexibility. Rather than waiting for tournaments to be on air, golfers can watch content whenever they have time.
That appears to be changing viewing habits significantly.
Almost one in five golfers who watch YouTube, 18%, now do so every day.
Among golfers under 45, that figure rises to 35%, while around 22% of golfers aged 45-64 also watch golf content daily.
The amount of content being consumed is equally impressive. Among golfers under 45, 43% watch more than three hours of golf content every week, while 57% watch at least an hour.
Viewing habits remain remarkably consistent across the older age groups too, with 54% of golfers aged 45-64 and 52% of those aged 65 and over also watching at least an hour of golf content every week.
These figures suggest YouTube is no longer simply an occasional source of coaching videos. It has become a regular part of many golfers’ weekly routines.
Golf is No Longer Tied to The Television
The survey also highlights how viewing habits themselves are changing.
Just as many respondents watch golf on their mobile phone, 50%, as they do on a smart or connected television, also 50%.
That flexibility allows golfers to consume content wherever they are, whether that is on the sofa, during a commute or while waiting to tee off.
Unlike traditional television, golf content is no longer restricted to the living room.
Why Do Golfers Prefer YouTube?
We asked respondents what they enjoy most about watching golf on YouTube.
The answer was overwhelming.
Three-quarters said they enjoy the fact that videos are generally shorter than an hour, making them easier to fit around everyday life.
Meanwhile, 47% said they find YouTube content more engaging and relatable than traditional television coverage.
Many golfers said they enjoy watching players of a similar standard to themselves rather than only elite professionals.
Others highlighted the value of coaching videos that help improve their game, honest equipment reviews that influence purchasing decisions and course vlogs that feel more authentic than traditional broadcasts.
Perhaps most importantly, golfers repeatedly mentioned the freedom YouTube provides.
They can choose what to watch, when to watch it, where to watch it and how long to spend watching. That level of control is something traditional television simply cannot offer.
Rick Shiels Remains The King of Golf YouTube
When asked which golf YouTube channels they watch regularly, one name stood above all others.
Rick Shiels was comfortably the most frequently mentioned creator, finishing well ahead of the rest of the field.
He was followed by fellow UK creators Peter Finch and Danny Maude, while channels including Golf Mates, Golf Life, James Robinson and Mark Crossfield also featured prominently.
Perhaps surprisingly, despite YouTube being a global platform, the most popular channels among our respondents were overwhelmingly British.
The findings also show that golfers are not simply looking for entertainment.
Alongside course vlogs and matches, coaching channels and equipment reviewers featured heavily, suggesting many golfers see YouTube as both entertainment and a way to improve their own game.
YouTube Fills The Gaps Television Cannot
Our previous survey found that golfers wanted professional golf to be easier to access, interrupted less often and to show more of the action.
This survey helps explain where many of them are going instead.
YouTube offers shorter videos, greater variety, coaching, equipment reviews, course vlogs and personalities that viewers connect with.
It also gives golfers complete control over how they consume golf content.
That does not mean traditional tournament coverage is becoming less important. More than half of golfers still watch tournament golf every week.
Instead, the evidence suggests golfers are building their own golf media diet, watching live tournaments when they want to follow the world’s best players, then turning to YouTube for coaching, entertainment and inspiration throughout the rest of the week.
The rise of YouTube is not replacing television. It is changing what golfers expect from golf content.
For broadcasters, that may be the biggest lesson of all.
