Internet Invitational Season 2 Draws 10 Million Views, $4M
By Staff Writer
2 min read
The Internet Invitational, the Barstool Sports and Bob Does Sports-produced influencer golf tournament, drew more than 10 million views on YouTube in the first week of its second season, which premiered last week from Big Cedar Lodge in Missouri.
The 2026 edition expanded to 64 players and a $4 million prize purse, up from $1 million in the tournament's debut season. The event is built around the same courses and resort used last year, with a production team that organizers say rivaled the scale of a PGA Tour broadcast.
What is the Internet Invitational?
The tournament began as a response to the PGA Tour-sanctioned Creator Classic, which didn't include Barstool talent. Barstool founder Dave Portnoy built his own event instead, pairing his network's personalities with a wider field of YouTube golf creators recruited through Bob Does Sports' Robby Berger. The two organizations split production duties and publishing rights to the season's six episodes, and fund the prize pool from sponsorship revenue after covering production costs.
How big was the production behind season 2?
Lead producer Brendan Jones oversaw more than 75 crew members, including 82 camera operators recruited from competing creators' own videography teams, plus audio and footage staff working from a command center at the resort's clubhouse. The shoot generated 28 terabytes of footage, condensed into six episodes.
| Category | Season 2 figure |
|---|---|
| Prize purse | $4 million |
| Field size | 64 players |
| Production crew | 75+ people |
| Camera operators | 82 |
| Raw footage | 28 terabytes (~800 hours) |
| Episodes | 6 |
Dave puts up all this money, and that changes people.
Why did season 1 go viral?
The tournament's first episode last year drew more than 12 million views after a storyline involving competitor Luke Kwon oversleeping and arriving late to his match spread across social media. Season 1 ended with Barstool's Cody "Beef" Franke among the champions; Franke died suddenly between filming and the final episode's release. A scholarship fund established in his name to support aspiring PGA teaching professionals reached its fundraising threshold within 24 hours, according to organizer Sam Bozoian, a process he said organizers had been told could take years. Season 2 opened with a tribute to Franke and an update on the scholarship from his family.
Key takeaways
- The Internet Invitational's second season drew more than 10 million YouTube views in its opening week.
- The 2026 prize purse grew to $4 million for a 64-player field, up from $1 million in season 1.
- Production used 82 camera operators and more than 75 crew members, generating 28 terabytes of footage.
- A scholarship fund for Cody "Beef" Franke, the late season 1 champion, hit its funding goal within 24 hours.
Frequently asked questions
Who organizes the Internet Invitational?
Barstool Sports and the YouTube channel Bob Does Sports co-produce the event, splitting production duties, episode publishing rights and sponsorship-funded prize money.
Where is the Internet Invitational played?
Season 2 was filmed at Big Cedar Lodge in Hollister, Missouri, the same resort that hosted the tournament's debut season.
How is the prize money determined?
Organizers said the purse comes entirely from sponsorship revenue collected for the event, minus production costs, rather than a fixed budget set in advance.
How many episodes does season 2 have?
Season 2 runs six episodes, split evenly between Barstool's and Bob Does Sports' YouTube channels.
- Internet Invitational
- Barstool Sports
- Bob Does Sports
- Dave Portnoy
- Big Cedar Lodge
- YouTube golf
