The inaugural season of golf’s controversial Saudi-backed LIV Golf League will receive free-to-air coverage across Australia after securing commercial broadcaster Seven Network as a broadcast partner in the country.
Under its agreement, Seven Network will air all 14 events of the LIV Golf League on its 7plus streaming platform, while the league’s Australian tournament at Grange Golf Club in Adelaide will be broadcast across various Seven linear channels.
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Seven Network becomes the second major broadcaster announced as having secured rights to the new league after entertainment-focused commercial broadcaster CW Network picked up the rights in the US.
LIV Golf chief executive Greg Norman said: “We [LIV Golf] have added to the golf eco-system and we have always wanted to be that way. It is fantastic to get our 2023 season up and running.
“With CW, Channel 7, and 7plus, to get out there and get this golf tournament viewed across the globe has been a major positive step, and I’m proud of where we are in the short space of time.”
Last week, LIV Golf launched a new streaming service to house live and on-demand content from its competitions. The service is available in over 180 territories around the world where other broadcast or live-streaming options are not available.
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By GlobalDataBacked by Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth Public Investment Fund (PIF), LIV launched an invitational tour in 2022 amid considerable controversy and disruption and after luring several high-profile players away from traditional powerhouse the PGA Tour with lucrative contracts.
LIV announced the launch of its new global league last July. The tournaments across 2023 will offer a total prize purse of $405 million, a sizeable increase from the $225 million offered in 2022.
In addition, this year will see the introduction of promotion and relegation between two league tiers as a means to refresh the player pool.
The first event of the inaugural season of the LIV Golf League ran from Friday to Sunday (February 24 to 26) at Mexico’s Mayakoba Resort and saw 48 golfers competing in 12 teams.
The next two tournaments will be played in the US at The Gallery Golf Club in Tucson from March 18 to 20 and Orange County Nation in Orlando from April 1 to 3 before the league heads to Adelaide from April 21 to 23.
Set rosters are set to compete in the 14-event schedule in pursuit of the LIV Golf League Individual Championship and Team Championship.
Ahead of the season-opening event last week, the league secured its first global sponsor after striking a one-year agreement with US-based logistics and software company EasyPost.
The deal comes after it was revealed the league lacked any formal sponsorship during its inaugural eight-event Invitational Series last year while spending $784 million to launch the circuit.
LIV Golf’s lawyers admitted to “virtually zero” revenue in 2022 in a recent court filing.
Image: Hector Vivas/Getty Images
