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Report: LIV Golf to Buy TV Time on Fox Sports 1 To Broadcast Tournaments

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Published

2 years ago

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While LIV Golf has signed several top golfers, including Dustin Johnson and Cameron Smith, the events thus far have been relegated to a live YouTube broadcast.

Several reports emerged stating that despite the best efforts of LIV CEO Greg Norman, the group was unable to secure a television rights deal in the United States. In addition to talks breaking down with Apple TV+ over the reported “toxicity” of the brand’s affiliation with the Saudi Arabian government, viewership on YouTube is also startlingly low—the live audience for the Chicago tournament peaked at 95,000 viewers.

It now appears, according to Golfweek, that LIV will go the route that the XFL in 2020 and several other startup leagues have done: buying time on TV stations instead of being paid to do so.

 

The report cites sources that said an agreement is being finalized to show LIV events on the Fox Sports 1 cable channel. LIV will not only have to pay for the production of the event (which it is already doing), but it will also be responsible for selling advertisements.

Due to the close ties with the Saudi government, advertiser support is also a big question mark for the group moving forward. There is also reportedly some pushback within FOX to show LIV events.

 

 
 
 
 
 
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FS1, which is owned by FOX, is used to air the sports properties that aren’t as prestigious as what FOX puts on its network television broadcasts. FS1 is the home to some Major League Baseball playoff games, regular-season college football, basketball, and many of NASCAR’s secondary series, along with a few of its Cup series events.

Once signed, it’s unclear when this deal will start. LIV has three more events left in its 2022 LIV Golf Invitational Series before embarking on a full schedule in 2023.

Cover Image Via The Sports Daily

 
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Chris has worked in sports journalism for nearly 20 years and also loves the game of golf, even though it often doesn't love him back. Year-round golf is a perk of living in Florida, where Chris moved from his native New York shortly after graduating from college. Chris has played some famous courses in the state, including Bay Hill in Orlando and Innisbrook in the Tampa Bay area, and next on his to-do list is the Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass to take a crack at the famous island hole.

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