Fierce Rivals PGA Tour, LIV Golf Agree to Merger
variety.comBrian Steinberg Senior TV Editor The most traditional purveyor of golf and the upstart that hoped to take away its business have agreed to merge, In a stunning development.
the PGA Tour agreed to combine its commercial and business rights with the golf-related operations of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, which includes the upstart league LIV Golf as well as Europe’s DP World Tour.
The two sides had been locked in litigation for months. “After two years of disruption and distraction, this is a historic day for the game we all know and love,” said Jay Monahan, the PGA Tour Commissioner. “Going forward, fans can be confident that we will, collectively, deliver on the promise we’ve always made — to promote competition of the best in professional golf and that we are committed to securing and driving the game’s future.” LIV tried to disrupt the American professional-golf game last year, wooing top players such as Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson and Phil Mickelson, with eye-popping contracts and outsize tournament prizes.
In January, Nexstar Media’s CW broadcast network struck a multi-year rights deal to air 14 global LIV Golf League live events in 2023 and will stream the events live on its app.
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