Although it has attracted the game’s most famous stars in the world, the new Saudi-backed “LIV” golf league is facing great difficulty in obtaining a major media partner in the United States to broadcast the events of the tournament.
People familiar with the matter told the newspaper:The Wall Street Journal“Amazon and Apple have not shown an interest in buying the rights to broadcast LIV League matches on their digital platforms.
The American newspaper, quoting its sources, indicated that the LIV League contacted Amazon and Apple, but the talks did not progress to any serious negotiations.
People familiar with the matter said that Al-Douri, which is backed by the Saudi Public Investment Fund, was unable to strike a deal with media networks including ESPN, CBS, NBC and Fox.
A LIV golf executive said it was too early to say whether there were parties interested in buying the tournament’s transmission rights.
The official added that the new golf league has begun to enter the auction stage to obtain media rights before the new season in 2023, as the tournament plans to conclude a big deal.
And the Saudis had signed with the most famous names in the game of golf to participate in their new championship following they “lured them with money,” according to the “New York Times” newspaper, which said that the Saudi-funded league is coming to compete with the BGA championships, a tournament that for decades was the most important event. And the highest level in the world golf championships and its first standard.
And the “Wall Street Journal” reported that networks such as “CBS”, “NBS”, “NBC” and ESPN, have with the “BGA” tournaments.
In the United States, the LIV Tournament can be viewed for free via YouTube and the tournament’s website.
A person familiar with the matter said that tournament matches are also available on the DAZN sports broadcasting service, which broadcasts events as part of free deals. “We’re optimistic regarding our players and the quality of our products,” said Will Steiger, LIV press secretary.
After the start of the Saudi-backed league earlier this year, the BGA Championships announced that players who participate in the Saudi-backed LIV Championship – and any other player who joins them – are “no longer eligible to participate” in the rounds launched before 93 years old.
However, Johnson, the former world number one and holder of two major championships, and the left-handed genius Mickelson, who is the second largest player in the last twenty years following Tiger Woods, responded to the Saudi offers, overcoming a barrier that many believed might not be crossed.
The new Saudi-funded league gathered 48 dissident players, who were inevitably tempted by the excessive financial prizes amounting to more than 250 million dollars, spread over 8 rounds around the world, and in a unique format over three days without interruption.
Among the 48 dissident players, 16 stars are ranked among the top 100 players in the world.
Human rights organizations have long accused Saudi Arabia of using sport as a means of reputation-washing in order to distract attention from its human rights record.
But the oil-rich Gulf kingdom says hosting major sporting events is part of its drive to attract more tourists, business and investment, as it embarks on reforms aimed at reducing its dependence on black gold revenues.