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LIV Golf has announced it will stream its remaining tournaments this season on its official YouTube channel in the US and international markets.
Confirmed:
- Pay-per-view (PPV) and geo-fenced live stream options will be available in the US, Canada, Mexico, and South Korea
- PPV stream to be available at US$3 per day, according to Sports Business Journal (SBJ)
- Free geo-fenced live stream available in the UK, Italy, Japan, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland
- LIV Golf DC was the first event to be broadcast on YouTube between 26th and 28th May
Context:
Having initially failed to sign any major broadcasting deals in its first year, LIV Golf made its events principally available for free via YouTube, Facebook and the official LIV Golf website. Since inking a partnership with The CW Network in the US, the tour has struggled to attract viewership, with its debut broadcast on The CW Network reportedly mustering a dismal 0.2 TV rating in the US. According to Golf.com, the Saudi Arabia-backed breakaway series is now no longer reporting viewership data from its US broadcasts.
More recently, CW affiliates across the US switched its programming away from the final round of LIV Golf’s Tulsa event, meaning its closing stages lost a chunk of viewership. By taking the decision to stream events on YouTube, LIV Golf will now provide fans an alternative option to watch its events and offset the risk of experiencing a similar drop off.
Comment:
“Expanding the availability of LIV Golf’s live coverage on YouTube marks another milestone in the innovative ways in which we are making our groundbreaking competition available to viewers,” said Will Staeger, LIV Golf chief media officer.
“LIV Golf is a global league comprised of some of the game’s biggest stars, and this supports our goal of bringing the sport we love to more people in more places around the world.”
Coming next:
The next LIV Golf event to be streamed on YouTube takes place at Spain’s Real Club Valderrama from 30th June to 2nd July.
