LIV Golf, forward of its second season, made historical past Thursday.
The Saudi-backed league and CW Community introduced an settlement on an unique multiyear unique tv contract, beginning with the 2023 season. It turned the primary tv broadcast settlement for LIV Golf, which final season was restricted to digital streaming on its official web site and on YouTube.
As a part of the settlement, of which the monetary phrases weren’t disclosed, viewers can even watch the matches on the CW app. The community will tv 14 occasions for the second LIV season. The primary rounds of the 2023 schedule won’t air on stay tv, per the announcement, however will as a substitute be out there for streaming on the app. The second and third rounds shall be broadcast on stay TV and on the app on Saturdays and Sundays.
Here is all the pieces you’ll want to know concerning the association.
What’s CW?
The CW Community is an American tv community that’s majority-owned by Nexstar Media Group, holding 75% of the share. The community gives numerous sports activities and leisure choices.
“For The CW, our partnership with LIV Golf marks a major milestone in our aim to re-engineer the community with high quality, diversified programming for our viewers, advertisers and CW associates,” Dennis Miller, president of the community, mentioned Thursday in a press release. “This additionally marks the primary time in The CW’s 17-year historical past that the community is the unique broadcast house for stay mainstream sports activities.”
The CW broadcast staff for LIV Golf occasions will embody Arlo White (play-by-play), David Feherty and Jerry Foltz (in-booth analysts) and Dom Boulet, Su-Ann Heng, and Troy Mullins (on-course protection and have reporting).
Why was a TV contract essential for LIV Golf?
Since its inception, the executives at LIV Golf have sought an unique tv take care of an American community as a key aspect in its progress technique. LIV Golf is continuous to compete with the PGA Tour and has been looking for to chop into the long-established golf league’s market share.
In line with ESPN, nonetheless, the settlement is a revenue-sharing one through which CW won’t pay the league for rights charges and LIV won’t pay the community for airtime. ESPN additionally reported that LIV Golf will proceed to pay for manufacturing prices, which it additionally did in 2022.
“This can be a momentous day for LIV Golf as this partnership is about extra than simply media rights,” LIV Golf CEO and commissioner Greg Norman mentioned in a press release. “The CW’s nationwide attain as America’s fifth broadcast community, will present accessibility for our followers and most publicity for our athletes and companions.”
Final season, Golfweek reported that LIV Golf was near an settlement through which it might have paid Fox Sports activities for airtime on its affiliate community, Fox Sports activities 1.
What’s the LIV Golf schedule?
The complete schedule for the 2023 LIV Golf season, which is able to embody 14 tournaments, is but to be introduced, although a number of dates have already been set. The present schedule is as follows:
Feb. 24-26
Mayakoba’s El Camaleon (Mexico)
March 17-19
The Gallery Golf Membership (Tucson, Arizona)
April 21-23
The Grange Golf Membership (Adelaide, Australia)
April 28-30
The Serapong at Sentosa Golf Membership (Singapore)
Could 12-14
Cedar Ridge Nation Membership (Tulsa, Oklahoma)
June 30-July 2
Actual Membership Valderrama (Spain)
Aug. 4-6
The Greenbrier (White Sulfur Springs, West Virginia)
Which golfers are scheduled to play in LIV Golf in 2023?
Among the many gamers scheduled to take part within the 2023 LIV Golf Invitational Collection are:
Phil Mickelson
Brooks Koepka
Dustin Johnson
Bryson DeChambeau
Sergio García
Cam Smith
Bubba Watson
Louis Oosthuizen
Ian Poulter
Martin Kaymer
Lee Westwood
Patrick Reed
Charl Schwartzel
Talor Gooch
Why is LIV Golf so controversial?
The Public Funding Fund (PIF), the sovereign wealth funding fund of Saudi Arabia and one of many largest on this planet, has backed and is financing LIV Golf Investments, the guardian firm of LIV Golf. Because the crown prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman is the pinnacle of the PIF. In line with a declassified US intelligence report launched in February 2021, Salman accredited an operation “to seize or kill” Washington Publish columnist Jamal Khashoggi inside a Saudi consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2, 2018.
The Saudi authorities is accused of different human rights violations and has invested in Western athletic alternatives in an obvious try to enhance its picture, a observe often known as “sportswashing.”
This text initially appeared on USA TODAY: LIV Golf, CW Community attain a multiyear broadcast partnership