Netflix’s Full Swing has been a huge hit in the past but viewing figures for the second series of the documentary series have taken a significant hit in recent months

Rory McIlroy’s golf viewership fears have come to pass (Image: Getty)

Following a successful launch in 2023, the golf documentary series experienced a sharp drop-off. The Sports Business Journal reported that from January to June, the second season of Full Swing tallied only 4.8 million views and 28.5 million hours watched substantially fewer than the first series.

During the same period in 2023, the sports doc was a bonafide hit with a whopping 53.1 million hours watched. The inaugural series drew attention for its authentic look into professional golf at a turbulent time, marked by the emergence of LIV Golf in 2022 and the ensuing division within the sport.

But, interest seems to have waned in the past year, as the PGA Tour and LIV’s Saudi Arabian financial backers are still inching towards a potential merger.

McIlroy had flagged earlier in the year that fan fatigue might set in due to the fragmented nature of elite golf, high-profile players facing off infrequently outside of the major tournaments. His comments mesh with the reality of slumping PGA Tour viewing figures, as the tour has seen a downturn in its audience, reports the Mirror US.

Meanwhile, LIV Golf has found it challenging to attract substantial numbers without securing a television contract with a leading US network.

The four-time major champion’s fears have been realised, with “Full Swing” following a similar trend. The 35 year old said back in April: “If you look at the TV ratings of the PGA Tour this year, they’re down 20 per cent across the board. That’s a fifth. That’s big. I would say the numbers on LIV aren’t great either in terms of the people tuning in.

“I just think with the fighting and everything that’s gone on over the past couple of years, people are just getting fatigued, and it’s turning people off men’s professional golf, and that’s not a good thing for anyone.

“It’s going to be really interesting to see how the four major championships do, or even the three, because put Augusta aside, I think that sort of lives in its own world.

The first series of “Full Swing doubtless benefited from a novelty factor that drove high viewing figures. The storylines of the PGA Tour-LIV Golf split were also fresh, luring more viewers in. Netflix confirmed earlier this month that a third series is in the works, but the latest viewing data will provide cause for concern.

The news is not all bad for the parties involved. Full Swing significantly outperformed similar production Break Point over the first six months of this year. The second series of Break Point, which follows stars from the world of tennis, accumulated 2.7 million views from January to June. However, The Netflix Cup has been axed after a single event and won’t make a comeback.

The one-off tournament took place in November 2023, featuring golfers Rickie Fowler, Justin Thomas, Max Homa, and Tony Finau alongside Formula 1 drivers Lando Norris, Carlos Sainz, Pierre Gasly, and Alex Albon before the Las Vegas Grand Prix. With only 700,000 views on the live stream, there are no plans to repeat the event this year.