The show was about unranked golfers grinding on the mini tours. Contracting them was the easy part. They're broke and will take almost anything. We had the show and could have contracted 100 in the next month.
We contracted 8, picked for a story worth telling, comfort on camera, and willingness to self-record and self-interview after every event.
These were moonshots with a very low success rate, and we were putting equipment, time and sponsorship into each one. The better the player, the tougher to contract, so the filter had to be the story and the work ethic on camera, not the ranking.
Eight signed. Some good golfers got turned away because they didn't want to do the recording.
When you can sign anyone, the job is choosing. Write the requirements down before the pitch. The ones who won't meet them are the ones you'd have regretted.