LIV Golf is aiming for the flagstick. In another sign that the three-year-old startup league is not going anywhere, the Saudi-backed tour has partnered with a major U.S. sports broadcaster.
On Thursday, Jan. 16, LIV Golf signed a multi-year agreement with Fox Sports to air its three-round matches over several platforms, starting with the season-opening tournament in February. The main rival to the PGA Tour will now broadcast half of its 14 matches on Fox or FS1. Select rounds will land on FS2, Fox Business Network and the Fox Sports App.
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“LIV Golf is getting bigger and bolder, and this relationship signals the next phase of growth as our league joins the company of the nation’s premier sports leagues and conferences,” said new LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neil in a press release. “LIV Golf is drawing a younger, more active and tech-savvy fan base, and as our players and teams prepare for LIV Golf’s biggest season yet, this agreement will take our broadcast to new heights.”
It will certainly give the league more exposure. Ratings on their previous network, the CW, were extremely low in the first two seasons. According to “Golfweek,” fewer than 100,000 people watched Jon Rahm win last season’s individual championship. For comparison, the average viewership during a PGA Tour event last season was 2.2 million.
The deal with Fox is another wedge between LIV Golf and the PGA Tour, which were hoping to reach a shared agreement with the Saudi Sovereign Wealth Fund to put the circuits under one umbrella. Negotiations continue on that deal.
IN ANOTHER SIGN THE THREE-YEAR-OLD LIV GOLF LEAGUE IS NOT GOING ANYWHERE, THE SAUDI BACKED STARTUP AND RIVAL TO THE PGA TOUR HAS PARTNERED WITH A MAJOR US SPORTS BROADCASTER.
THURSDAY, LIV GOLF SIGNED A MULTI YEAR AGREEMENT WITH FOX SPORTS TO AIR THEIR THREE ROUND MATCHES OVER SEVERAL PLATFORMS STARTING WITH THE SEASON OPENING TOURNAMENT IN FEBRUARY.
FOX OR FS1 WILL AIR OVER HALF OF THE LEAGUE’S 14 EVENTS WHILE SELECT ROUNDS WILL LAND ON FS2, FOX BUSINESS NETWORK AND THE FOX SPORTS APP.
IN A RELEASE, NEW LIV GOLF CEO SCOTT O’NEIL SAID IN PART,
“LIV Golf is getting bigger and bolder, and this relationship signals the next phase of growth as our league joins the company of the nation’s premier sports leagues and conferences,” ….” LIV Golf is drawing a younger, more active and tech-savvy fan base, and as our players and teams prepare for LIV Golf’s biggest season yet, this agreement will take our broadcast to new heights.”
IT WILL CERTAINLY GIVE THE LEAGUE MORE EXPOSURE. RATINGS ON THEIR PREVIOUS NETWORK – THE CW – WERE EXTREMELY LOW THE FIRST TWO SEASONS. ACCORDING TO “GOLFWEEK”, FEWER THAT 100,000 PEOPLE WATCHED JON RAHM WIN LAST SEASONS INDIVIDUAL CHAMPIONSHIP. FOR COMPARISON, THE AVERAGE VIEWERSHIP DURING A PGA TOUR EVENT LAST SEASON WAS 2.2 MILLION.
THE DEAL WITH FOX IS YE ANOTHER WEDGE BETWEEN LIV GOLF AND THE PGA TOUR WHO HAD HOPED TO COME TO A SHARED AGREEMENT WITH THE ‘SAUDI SOVEREIGN WEALTH FUND’ TO PUT THE CIRCUITS UNDER ONE UMBRELLA.
NEGOTIATIONS CONTINUE ON THAT FRONT BUT FOR NOW LIV GOLF SEEMS TO BE AIMING FOR THE FLAGSTICK.
FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS, I’M CHRIS FRANCIS
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