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LIV Golf has been facing an uphill battle since it embarked on its quest to take on the PGA Tour thanks to the controversy that’s swirled around the upstart league.
Sure, it may benefit from the virtually endless amount of money at its disposal, but the fact those funds mostly comes from Saudi Arabia has been a constant topic of conversation that’s cast a shadow over the events it’s held since kicking off its inaugural season in 2022.
One of the many hurdles LIV faced over the course of that campaign was the lack of a television broadcast partner, as anyone who wanted to tune into a tournament had to watch it online (and, as Nick Faldo noted earlier this year, the organization didn’t exactly shatter any streaming records).
LIV Golf was able to rectify that issue prior to its second go-around after inking a deal with The CW, which agreed to broadcast events on local affiliates around the United States.
However, the partnership has left a bit to be desired.
Last weekend, a number of CW stations cut away from a three-man playoff in favor of an assortment of reruns and infomercials, which appeared to be a testament to the fact that LIV hasn’t exactly become appointment viewing for golf fans.
LIV’s ratings were already trending in a downward direction as of a couple of months ago, although it’s become increasingly difficult to pinpoint exactly how many people are tuning in these days thanks to a decision that would appear to suggest the answer is “Not a lot!”
After initial reports suggested LIV had failed to meet expectations when it made its debut on The CW in February, the organization quickly set out to try to set the record straight by releasing internal numbers that painted a slightly more impressive picture.
However, Golf spoke to multiple sources who told the outlet LIV has quietly opted to change course by declining to release any more data concerning viewership.
There’s no official explanation for that pivot, although it doesn’t take a genius to connect the dots.