LIV Golf sign United States broadcast deal with Fox Sports

[Tim Martin]

Game changer?

[Sam Morrow]

More golf on easy to access TV, can't think of any negatives!

[MCirba]

Game changer?

I suspect not.


It's not difficult to access today for anyone.   It's just a crappy product.

[Chris Hughes]

More golf on easy to access TV, can't think of any negatives!

Agreed.


Significant upgrade on the distribution side.


Personally I've not attended a LIV event but a number of friends have with kids in tow and they uniformly rave about the experience. 


Australia and Hong Kong (among others) sure seem to love the concept...


...the Fox TV deal is a nice win for LIV Golf.

[Rob Marshall]

I’m shocked, but I won’t watch it. I barely watch golf anymore as it is.

[Kalen Braley]

I'd be curious to know if LIV is paying Fox Sports, just like they had to pay the CW.

Either way, I'm with Rob doesn't change anything from a watchability perspective.

[Steve Lapper]

I'd be curious to know if LIV is paying Fox Sports, just like they had to pay the CW.

Either way, I'm with Rob doesn't change anything from a watchability perspective.

  I am told there was major "consideration" made by LIV to Fox to ink this deal. Not sure if its cash or something else, or some combination of the two? The assignment of production costs are most probably in play here. The LIV #'s aren't yet (if ever?) compelling for a major sports distribution network like Fox to spend meaningful $$ to broadcast them.


 FWIW, I think this TV package is a minor deal that will likely be moot in the near future as LIV & the PGA Tour find a way to reconcile and merge inside the next 12 mos. It's highly likely DJT's new DoJ soon signals little appetite for any major Antitrust review and with the Senate firmly Republican, this will end up being announced near simultaneously by Riyadh, Ponte Vedra and The White House with the latter taking credit for it.

[Pierre_C]

I don't think the FOX partnership will change LIV's viewer numbers very much. LIV was averaging ~130,000 viewers per event day in 2024 - streaming & CW. FOX provides LIV access to a bigger media player with multiple access options, so I'd expect there will be a bump in viewer numbers but nothing dramatic.

Some details on the LIV - FOX partnership.

Reports FOX paid a "modest" fee to broadcast LIV events. In addition, LIV will use their own in-house broadcast team (camera, drones, stats, media, etc), this should reduce the overhead for FOX to air LIV events.

"Throughout the season, all three days of LIV Golf tournament competition will air live across the FOX family of networks, with more than half of the League’s schedule airing on FOX or FS1. Select rounds will air on FS2, FOX Business Network and the FOX Sports App, with nearly all of the LIV Golf season’s 210 hours of competition carried live across FOX Sports platforms. All LIV Golf coverage will also be streamed on the FOX Sports App and to LIV Golf+ app subscribers."

Source: https://www.livgolf.com/news/fox-sports-and-liv-golf-to-enter-multi-year-media-rights-agreement

[Tim_Cronin]

With the associated cable networks involved, as well as Fox's other sports programming, it will mean fewer hours over-the-air on Fox in 2025 than on CW in 2024 or 2023. However, if Fox puts Friday coverage on over-the-air (CW never covered Fridays) then there may be more hours.


The rights fee Fox is paying will help cover some of the considerable production costs. And LIV still controls all the production. Fox just plugs in to the worldwide feed.

[Ronald Montesano]

We will get to see all the fine golf courses of the VIL league.

[Chris Hughes]

I'd be curious to know if LIV is paying Fox Sports, just like they had to pay the CW.

Either way, I'm with Rob doesn't change anything from a watchability perspective.

  I am told there was major "consideration" made by LIV to Fox to ink this deal.

Who "told" you that?