• Loading stock data...
Friday, April 4, 2025
Nominations Are Open for Front Office Sports Honors! Submit Now

LIV Golf Gets New Media Deal—and Greg Norman’s Replacement

LIV Golf is experiencing significant change ahead of its 2025 season. A new media-rights deal and CEO looks to forge a new path for the tour.

Erich Schlegel-Imagn Images

LIV Golf is set to head into its 2025 season with a new media-rights deal and a replacement for its controversial leader, Greg Norman.

The league made two key formal announcements this week as it gears up for its season opener in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Feb. 6–8.

Fox Sports has signed a multiyear media-rights deal to become LIV’s sole U.S. broadcast partner, following the past two seasons with The CW. Airing on the main Fox network will give LIV its best TV exposure yet. Some rounds will also air on the cable channels FS1, FS2, and even Fox Business Network.

LIV’s recent schedule shift was likely made in accordance with the crowded sports slate on Fox, which is paying an undisclosed rights fee. LIV’s season will end in late August—earlier than it has in the past three seasons—and for the first time on the same weekend as the PGA Tour’s season-ending Tour Championship. 

Fox has a heavy dose of college football and NFL broadcasts on Saturdays and Sundays in the fall, which would have likely reduced LIV’s placement on its networks.

Shift at the Top

LIV has also announced the hire of Scott O’Neil as its new CEO, replacing Norman, who is handing off the day-to-day management duties he had as CEO and commissioner, but he will remain involved with LIV.

Norman took a mostly adversarial approach toward the PGA Tour since LIV’s launch in 2022, so finding a new leader could smooth things out between the two tours, as LIV’s financial backers at the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia continue to work on a deal with the PGA Tour to unify men’s professional golf.

O’Neil has a deep sports history, and he was previously the CEO of 76ers and Devils parent company Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment. His relationships from that job should be valuable for LIV. For example, David Blitzer is a co-owner alongside Tiger Woods of Jupiter Links Golf Club, one of six teams in TGL, the new indoor golf league that launched this month and has backing from the PGA Tour. 

Trump’s Impact on Golf

The state of the PIF–PGA Tour negotiations could speed up after President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration Monday.

LIV will once again play at the Trump National Doral Golf Club in South Florida in April, and Trump has previously said he could get a PIF–PGA Tour deal done “in the better part of 15 minutes.”

The Department of Justice is also expected to be more merger-friendly under Trump’s administration, which would be a positive sign for the tours.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

hard-knocks-2020

NFL Expands ‘Hard Knocks’ Pool of Teams: Who’s Eligible for 2025?

The NFL is relaxing rules surrounding its reality TV show.

New Masters Look Post-Hurricane: Augusta Has Fewer Trees, Fresh Greens

The home of The Masters suffered damage from Hurricane Helene in September.

Featured Today

Dec 27, 2024; San Jose, California, USA; San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini (71) skates during warm ups before their game against the Vegas Golden Knights at SAP Center at San Jose

Macklin Celebrini and the Sharks Rookies Have Brought Good Vibes to a..

The rookie’s arrival has boosted spirits incongruously high inside the flagging franchise.
Mar 26, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) in the first half Indiana Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
April 1, 2025

The Creator Behind the LeBron ‘Glazing’ Trend Sweeping TikTok

FOS spoke to TikTok user OkaySpade who made the original song.
Mar 22, 2025; Providence, RI, USA; McNeese State Cowboys manager Amir Khan before a second round men’s NCAA Tournament game against the Purdue Boilermakers at Amica Mutual Pavilion
April 1, 2025

Inside the 24-Hour NIL March Madness Deals

Some of the most viral partnerships come together overnight.
Seattle Kraken
April 1, 2025

Samantha Holloway Is Seattle’s NHL Present—and Hopeful NBA Future

Samantha Holloway is steering the Kraken and hoping to revive pro hoops.
Jessica Pegula

Jessica Pegula on Tennis: Pay, Saudi Deals, and Women’s Sports Boom

Pegula wants tennis players to receive more prize money.
Los Angeles Golf Club owners Alexis Ohanian and Serena Williams cheer for their team against the New York Golf Club during the TGL semifinal match at SoFi Center on March 17, 2025, in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.
exclusive
April 1, 2025

Alexis Ohanian Bid on NFL Flag Football, Serena Williams Exploring Franchise

Ohanian is the first known bidder for the flag football leagues.
Kelly Coleman, pro bat lead operator, inspects a torpedo bat after it comes out of a baseball bat lathe at the Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory in Louisville, Ky. on Mar. 31, 2025.
April 2, 2025

‘Torpedo’ Bat Sales Boom As Debate Rages About Effectiveness

Several manufacturers report historic interest in the much-debated bat design.
Sponsored

How UBS Crafts Impactful Partnerships Across Sports, Arts, and Culture

As UBS continues to expand its impressive array of sports and entertainment partnerships, the company solidifies its position as a leader in wealth management.
April 1, 2025

Goodell, Owners Signal 18-Game NFL Season Is Coming—Eventually

The idea of a longer schedule ties into several other league initiatives.
Laney-Hamilton
April 1, 2025

WNBA Champion Missing Season Shows Risks and Kinks of Unrivaled

The Liberty have six weeks to make a decision on Betnijah Laney-Hamilton.
Nov 10, 2024; Munich, Germany; The NFL shield logo at midfield during the 2024 NFL Munich Game at Allianz Arena.
April 1, 2025

NFL’s Global Ambitions Now Extend to Abu Dhabi

Three teams gain marketing rights to the United Arab Emirates.
April 1, 2025

NFL Tush Push Vote Has Been Pushed

Owners table a vote on the highly debated quarterback sneak play.