Networks know they’ll struggle

NEW YORK — The television networks already know what life without Tiger Woods looks like, and they were going to take that knowledge into their upcoming negotiations for the next contract with the PGA Tour.

The tour’s six-year deals with CBS and NBC expire in 2012, and negotiations are expected to begin late next year.

Knee surgery sidelined Woods for eight months after his stirring win at the 2008 U.S. Open, slicing television ratings in half while he was gone. Now Woods is taking an indefinite leave from golf after admitting to marital infidelity.

During the last round of negotiations, NBC focused on securing rights to tournaments that Woods was likely to play, said former MAGNA research chief Steve Sternberg.

But even before a stream of sordid allegations led Woods to step away from the game, the networks had received a harsh reminder that the lofty ratings they receive when he’s in contention aren’t assured.

“The television business is about guaranteeing ratings to advertisers,” said analyst Larry Gerbrandt, a principal of Media Valuation Partners.

By the time the negotiations start, the networks might have a better sense of the scenario, good or bad.