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As expected, LIV Golf has announced a multiyear U.S. rights agreement with The CW Network.
The exclusive rights deal marks the Saudi-backed golf league’s first for American TV and streaming. Previously, LIV streamed tournaments on its website and YouTube.
- CW will air all of 2023’s 14 global events live in the U.S. and stream via the CW app.
- LIV tournaments run three days (Friday–Sunday) vs. the PGA Tour’s typical four-day format. Saturday-Sunday golf will air on CW, while Friday will stream on the app.
- LIV’s TV announcers include Arlo White, David Feherty, and Jerry Foltz in the broadcast booth, with Dom Boulet, Su-Ann Heng, and Troy Mullins as on-course and feature reporters.
LIV officials have long admitted their rival league won’t really take off until it cracks the U.S. media market, where most of the available partners are already connected contractually to the PGA Tour.
Golf legend and LIV chief executive officer Greg Norman called it a “momentous” step in LIV’s global challenge to the PGA Tour.
“The CW will provide accessibility for our fans, and maximum exposure for our athletes and partners, as their reach includes more than 120 million households across the United States,” said Norman.
Making Sports Debut
The deal marks the first time in the CW’s 17-year history that it will be the exclusive broadcast home of a live mainstream sport.
“Our new partnership with LIV Golf marks a significant milestone in our goal to reengineer the network with quality, diversified programming for our viewers, advertisers, and CW affiliates,” said president Dennis Miller.
