LIV Golf heads into its first full season with a television and streaming agreement in the pocket. On Thursday, the Greg Norman-fronted league announced a multi-year tie-up with the CW Network which will air live all 14 LIV Golf events worldwide.
The coverage – produced by the Saudi Arabia-funded golf tour – besides being available in the US broadcast market will also be available on the CW app, a statement on the LIV Golf website said.
The choice of broadcast partner was arrived at following a competitive bidding process, the statement added and no details of the finances involved were revealed.
Nexstar Media Group – a majority owner of The CW – is one of the five largest broadcast and local news station and media operators in the US and recently took over the channel that was largely known for teenage television content.
Coverage of the golf league’s season will commence with the first of 14 events across the globe at the El Camaleon Golf Course in Mayakoba, Mexico, from February 24 to 26. So far, LIV Golf has named only seven of its 14 tournament venues though an announcement on the full schedule is expected soon.
According to reports, the first event will stream on the CW app with limited coverage of the next two events beginning on the television network,. LIV Golf will continue to generate the coverage as it did in the launch season.
Said league CEO and Commissioner Greg Norman, “This is a momentous day for LIV Golf as this partnership is about more than just media rights. The CW will provide accessibility for our fans and maximum exposure for our athletes and partners as their reach includes more than 120 million households across the United States.
“We’re very proud to note how consequential it is that a league that has only existed for one year has secured a full broadcast deal in its debut full league season. The CW and its majority owner, Nexstar Media Group, recognise the enormous interest in and potential of our league and with their support, more fans will experience the energy and innovative competition that LIV Golf is using to reinvigorate the sport.
“The CW is a world-class media partner, and we are honoured to be joining forces to further bring LIV Golf to life as they stake their claim in professional sports.”
The platform was most recently a joint property of Paramount and WarnerMedia before it was acquired by Nexstar.
“Our partnership between The CW and LIV Golf will deliver a whole new audience and add to the growing worldwide excitement for the league,” noted The CW Network president Dennis
Miller. “With CW’s broadcasts and streams, more fans across the country and around the globe can partake in the LIV Golf energy and view its innovative competition that has reimagined the sport for players, fans and the game of golf.
“For The CW, our partnership with LIV Golf marks a significant milestone in our goal to re-engineer the network with quality, diversified programming for our viewers, advertisers and CW affiliates. This also marks the first time in The CW’s 17-year history that the network is the exclusive broadcast home for live mainstream sports.
“The CW’s acquisition of exclusive US broadcast rights to the LIV Golf League is part of a long-standing industry trend of entertainment networks adding live sports to their programming slates.”
As per the league’s announcement, tournaments will air live on Saturdays and Sundays on The CW and The CW App and on Fridays on The CW App which will be available for download free “to consumers on all major platforms”.