LIV Golf Inks Deal That Spices Up PGA TOUR Merger Talks

Aside from an update by PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan (that didn’t give much of an actual update), things have been quiet in recent months when it comes to negotiations between the PGA Tour and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), which bankrolls LIV Golf.

But a reported new deal could shed some light on what’s happening behind the scenes.

Front Office Sports reports that LIV Golf has signed with Creative Arts Agency (CAA) to represent it in media rights and corporate sponsorship deals.

Interestingly enough, CAA also represents the PGA Tour in these endeavors. 

Rebel golf tour LIV Golf has reached out to TNT Sports about possibly taking over its national media rights, sources tell @FOS.

Could Charles Barkley be calling tournaments for LIV? We’ll see. Don’t forget LIV pursued Sir Charles in 2022.https://t.co/416W1VPddB

— Michael McCarthy (@MMcCarthyREV) August 21, 2024

With the same representation, it could lay the groundwork for a combined media deal down the road.

But with it looking like the leagues will remain separate for 2025, John Ourand at Puck reports that LIV is looking to beef up its media rights deal in the United States for next season, with TNT potentially getting involved. TNT currently is home to “The Match” broadcasts but will be looking to fill programming holes once their NBA deal expires next spring. 

Ourand reported that LIV and CW have a good working relationship, but CW did not accept LIV’s first offer for a price increase in 2025. 

While the CW is not known as a top-tier network among sports fans, LIV still struggles to find a foothold.

This past weekend’s playoff showdown by two of the biggest names in golf – Brooks Koepka and Jon Rahm – drew an average of 165,000 viewers for the day on Sunday. 

Despite big names like Koepka and Rahm battling it out in a playoff at LIV Golf Greenbrier, the event failed to pick up proper viewership (Image: The Daily Reporter)

On the PGA Tour side, the FedEx St. Jude Championship was down 1 million viewers from 2023 but still drew 2.2 million on Sunday as Hideki Matsuyama held off the likes of Xander Schauffele, Viktor Hovland, and Scottie Scheffler.

Cover Image via Golf Magazine