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- Leadership shift and a fresh media focus
- Why Topgolf’s audience matters to brands
- Topgolf Media Networks: a single division for ads, retail and licensing
- New venue tech and programming to drive ad inventory
- Licensing plans and retail reach
- Early partner examples and social impact tie-ins
- Industry view: expanding commerce media beyond stores
- Positioning Topgolf for advertisers and brands
Topgolf’s new CEO is moving quickly to turn the entertainment chain into a broader media and licensing business. Under his watch, the brand is retooling how it sells ads, builds partnerships and brings Topgolf-branded products into stores. The changes aim to tap the time guests spend on site and extend the brand into everyday retail.
Leadership shift and a fresh media focus
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David McKillips, who took the helm at Topgolf in February, arrived with a track record in family entertainment and theme-park media. He led marketing and media efforts at Chuck E. Cheese and Six Flags before joining Topgolf.
His priority has been clear: expand advertising revenue and create a licensing pipeline for apparel, toys and games. McKillips views Topgolf as more than a venue. He sees it as a platform where brands can embed messages into a multi-hour guest experience.
Why Topgolf’s audience matters to brands
Topgolf guests often stay for long sessions. That gives the company a rare form of attention for out-of-home advertising.
- Long dwell time: Groups commonly occupy a bay for up to two hours.
- Captive, engaged groups: Visitors come for social outings, not routine shopping trips.
- Large footprint: 103 locations serve roughly 40 million guests.
- Extensive digital surface: The venues include around 28,000 screens across bays, lobbies and bars.
Those factors let Topgolf offer advertisers sustained exposure rather than quick impressions. McKillips argues this can make Topgolf an attractive alternative to standard out-of-home networks.
Topgolf Media Networks: a single division for ads, retail and licensing
This summer the company launched Topgolf Media Networks. The new unit merges sponsorship sales with retail media and licensing efforts.
The idea is to present integrated deals that blend on-site signage, digital ads, social campaigns and co-branded merchandise. McKillips describes the approach as bundling every partnership touchpoint into one custom program.
What Topgolf can pitch to partners
- Digital-screen advertising across bays and common areas.
- Mobile-app promotions and email marketing.
- Physical sampling inside venues.
- Branded product licensing for apparel and consumer goods.
New venue tech and programming to drive ad inventory
Topgolf is adding upgraded screens and new bay layouts to create more inventory for advertisers.
- Game Day Bays: New bays will offer up to five screens per bay.
- These screens can display live sports, gameplay stats, and ad content.
- Large-format outfield jumbotrons appear at select sites.
- Digital signage extends into lobbies, bars and the mobile app.
By integrating sports telecasts with gameplay and brand messages, Topgolf can host sponsorships that feel like live activations.
Licensing plans and retail reach
Beyond ad inventory, Topgolf is pursuing consumer products that carry the brand into homes and stores. The company plans to license apparel, toys and casual games under the Topgolf name.
McKillips wants partner programs that span merchandising and media. The goal is co-branded goods available at venues and through third-party retailers, plus marketing that directs customers from retail back to the Topgolf experience.
Early partner examples and social impact tie-ins
One of the first deals under the new media group pairs Topgolf with Black Clover USA, a headwear and apparel maker. The multi-year agreement covers staff uniforms, co-branded hats sold at venues, and joint marketing.
- Retail media placements such as email and social campaigns.
- Digital-screen marketing inside Topgolf locations.
- Charitable initiatives, including donations and a national giveaway tied to a nonprofit.
McKillips calls that a fully immersive partnership because it mixes licensing, media and on-site activations.
Industry view: expanding commerce media beyond stores
Retail media specialists see Topgolf’s move as a sign the commerce-media map is widening. The company doesn’t replicate a classic retail network that tracks frequent shopping signals.
Sean Crawford of SMG says Topgolf’s main value is its premium, high-attention environment. The visits are often occasion-driven, which makes the data more useful for brand awareness and audience-building.
Yet there is a caveat. Advertising inside a leisure experience risks annoying guests. Brands must make messages feel relevant and additive, not intrusive.
Positioning Topgolf for advertisers and brands
Topgolf now pitches itself as a place where sports, entertainment and brand storytelling meet. Golf’s popularity is rising, and that helps the case.
- Golf participation grew significantly from 2019 to 2025.
- Topgolf frames its reach as a national, affordable way to engage audiences around the game.
- Premium brands may use Topgolf to build awareness rather than push immediate sales.
McKillips says the company’s blend of entertainment and sport gives advertisers a unique platform to reach consumers in a social setting.
