Despite drawing some of the sport's biggest names to the tour with the millions on offer, the Saudi-funded LIV Golf has been unable to attract a television deal.
The tour is five events into its inaugural season and thus far has been broadcast on YouTube and its own website. LIV Golf has been criticised for being a sportswashing exercise by the Saudis. The backlash which will surely follow for any broadcaster airing LIV events is likely to have been a deterrent.
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According to Golfweek, LIV Golf is close to purchasing air time on Fox Sports to show its tournaments. This would be very much against the norm which sees media companies paying for the rights to air sporting events.
Sources: LIV Golf nearing deal to buy time on Fox Sports to air its tournaments https://t.co/oeE83Xb7Y7 via @golfweek
— Eamon Lynch (@eamonlynch) September 28, 2022
The news is also contrary to what LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman said earlier this month regarding the tour's television rights.
"I can’t comment on that quite honestly," Norman told ESPN 1000 Chicago.
"All I can tell you is that the interest coming across our plate right now is enormous.
"We’re talking to four different networks — and live conversations where offers are being put on the table.
"Because [the networks] can see the value of our product, they can see what we’re delivering."
NBC, CBS, Disney, Apple and Amazon are all said to have rejected approaches, and that LIV will be responsible for the television production of tournaments, and the sale of advertisement slots on Fox, another deviation from the norms of media deals.
A request for Fox to pay a rights fee for the second year of any deal, along with the broadcaster guaranteeing a time slot, is reported to have been rejected.
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