LIV Golf, CW announce broadcast deal

BOLTON, MASSACHUSETTS – SEPTEMBER 04: Dustin Johnson of the the United States hits his tee shot on the 16th hole during the final round of the LIV Golf Invitational – Boston at The Oaks golf course at The International on September 04, 2022 in Bolton, Massachusetts. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

(NewsNation) — LIV Golf, the upstart league backed by Saudi Arabia’s public investment fund, has partnered with The CW on its first-ever U.S. broadcast deal. The multi-year deal will begin with the upcoming season, which is LIV’s second.

The CW is majority-owned by NewsNation’s parent company, Nexstar Media.

It is a major development for both the network and the league, which now looks to bring its distinct spin on the sport to millions of homes across the country.

LIV Golf’s first year was rocky and spent toiling exclusively on streaming services.

“What’s great about this partnership is LIV Golf and our revolutionary coverage,” LIV Golf Chief Media Officer Will Staeger said. “Faster, more shots, innovative graphics, fantastic announce team, really educating the fan on what’s at stake with every shot.”

The deal will bring LIV tournament golf to more than one hundred million homes across the country, aiming to attract a new kind of fan to pro golf.

“Not just the core golf fan who we respect and serve, but also the casual sports fan and the casual entertainment fan,” Staeger said.

Staeger added the league opted to partner with The CW because of the scope of coverage and reach the network offered compared to traditional sports broadcasters like ESPN or Fox Sports.

“We feel we’re positioning LIV Golf for the future with that broad reach, and with a committed partnership from The CW and the Nexstar partnership group,” Staeger said.

While some critics may blast the network for partnering with the league due to its financing from the Saudi Arabian government, The CW’s president, Dennis Miller, heralded the deal.

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 kicks off its first year of LIV Golf coverage with LIV’s season-opening tournament from the El Camaleón Mayakoba golf course in Playa del Carmen, Mexico on Feb. 24.