Jamie Squire/LIV Golf/Getty Images
The LIV Golf series is looking to land a legitimate TV partner to broadcast its events.
According to recent reports from Golfweek, the Saudi-backed series is nearing a deal to buy time on Fox Sports.
Typically, media outlets pay leagues for the rights to broadcast the sport. But due to LIV Golf’s controversial backing, the series will pay to have its events televised.
“LIV will also be responsible for the production of its tournament broadcasts and for selling commercial sponsorships during its time slots, two tasks that would usually fall to a broadcast partner,” Eamon Lynch reports.
The sports world took to Twitter to react to this news.
“Basically in the same programming category as an infomercial in terms of traffic and inventory. Not a rights package,” one fan wrote.
“Fox ok with Sports Washing who’d too thought that,” another said.
“The Saudis have just shattered the record for the most expensive TV commercial ever,” another added.
“Does LIV understand that they’re supposed to be paid and not be the one paying,” another asked.
“We’re talking to four different networks, and live conversations where offers are being put on the table,” LIV commissioner Greg Norman told ESPN. “They can see what we’re delivering.”
According to an inside source for Golfweek, LIV Golf has already been shut down by NBC, CBS, Disney, Apple and Amazon.
“There were people at Fox who wanted nothing to do with this,” the source said. “They were forced to do it.”
LIV Golf is currently broadcast for free on the league’s YouTube and Facebook channels.
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