LIV GOLF is set to be shown live in the UK for free in a major boost for fans.
Punters usually have to pay through the nose for various subscriptions so they can watch their favourite sports.
Getty Images – GettySports fans will get to stream a major event for free in the UK[/caption]
But golf fans are in for a treat this year.
That’s because LIV Golf will reportedly stream for free in the UK.
i News claims the controversial competition secured just one deal in the US when selling their TV rights.
The Saudi Arabian-backed tour divided golfers when organisers splashed out on securing big names like Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson from the PGA.
But it has struggled to secure broadcasting deals, with the i claiming TV companies were put off by scheduling and political issues.
It means fans in the UK and around the world, bar the US, can watch the first event of the new season for free when it kicks off in Mexico next Thursday.
The event will be available on the LIV Golf Plus app, and will also be streamed on LIVGolfPlus.com.
Will Staeger, LIV Golf Chief Media Officer, said: “The introduction of the LIV Golf Plus streaming app ensures fans around the world will receive direct access to live and on-demand coverage of our league’s groundbreaking launch.
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“In keeping with the content distribution strategy of other major sports leagues, the LIV Golf Plus streaming app allows more access to our content from more places for more people, spanning the traditional golf consumer to the casual sports and entertainment viewer discovering golf for the first time.
“We are thrilled to bring our innovative coverage of the game’s biggest stars including Cam Smith, Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka and Phil Mickelson to the sport’s global fanbase and are excited to grow our content offering on LIV Golf Plus in the coming seasons to drive deeper connections between viewers and our athletes in every corner of the world.”.
Meanwhile, Conrad Wiacek, head of sport analysis at GlobalData, told the i: “If you look at the WSL [Women’s Super League], look at their strategy, part of that was free-to-air and that built an audience.
“Sky and the BBC now show WSL coverage because they’re trying to get as wide an audience as possible. The 100 is another example of this, free-to-air and coverage on pay TV.
“So you’re building that audience, you’re reaching as many people as you can through free-to-air, but you’ve also got potentially a bit of money coming in from the pay TV side.
“My gut feel is that LIV Golf have gone to market, they’ve signed all these big names, and they’ve gone ‘Well, of course, people are going to pay for this’ and the argument against that from a broadcaster, Sky especially, is ‘Okay, who’s your audience?’.
“LIV will say ‘Well, we don’t have one yet.’ and Sky will say ‘Well, come back to us when you do’ because in essence Sky will use that audience to sell advertising.
“There’s an entire economy behind media rights that I think LIV might have misjudged.”
GettyLIV Golf failed to secure TV deals outside the US for the new season[/caption] Read More