Report: Fox Sports ‘Forced’ Into Partnership with LIV Golf

LIV Golf is making moves.

It appears as if LIV Golf may have finally found a broadcast partner to air its tournaments. All of the usual suspects to air golf coverage, like NBC, CBS, Disney, Apple and Amazon all rejected the Saudi-backed league, but they may be close to finally getting to the small screen. Fox Sports 1 is reportedly close to an agreement with LIV Golf, according to Golfweek.

But this isn’t your run of the mill broadcasting deal, LIV will pay Fox for the air time, rather than the traditional setup, which would see Fox Sports paying LIV Golf for the rights to air their tournaments. Initially Fox was among the broadcast companies that wouldn’t work with LIV. However Lachlan Murdoch, the executive chairman and CEO of Fox Corp., reportedly forced the company to be involved with LIV, according to Golfweek.

“There were people at Fox who wanted nothing to do with this,” a source told Golfweek. “They were forced to do it.”

Just two weeks ago Greg Norman said he was fielding intense interest from media companies eager to broadcast LIV tournaments.

“We’re talking to four different networks, and live conversations where offers are being put on the table,” he told ESPN. “They can see what we’re delivering.”

LIV Golf is not a good look for any broadcaster. LIV currently streams online on Facebook, YouTube and DAZN, but this would be LIV Golf’s first foray into broadcast television.

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