LIV Golf has a television partner five weeks before its second season tees off, announcing Thursday it has an agreement with the CW Network to air tournaments on the weekend and stream the first rounds via the CW’s app.
A television deal in the United States was seen as critical for the fledgling league. Last year, live coverage of LIV events was available only through streaming on its website and YouTube.
The next season of LIV Golf League, with an emphasis on the 12 four-man teams it hopes to create as franchises, starts Feb. 24-26 at Mayakoba, the Mexican resort that hosted a PGA Tour event from 2007 to 2022.
“This is a momentous day for LIV Golf as this partnership is about more than just media rights,” Greg Norman, CEO and commissioner of the league, said in a release Thursday. “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.”
LIV Golf did not disclose details of the partnership, but several media outlets have reported that the CW will not pay for media rights to LIV Golf in the traditional sense, nor would it buy time on the network. Instead, the proposed agreement would be to share advertising revenue.