Until LIV Golf Lands a Legit TV Deal, All the Chatter Will Remain Just That
For all the grand idealists and bald-faced realists who think LIV Golf is nothing more than hogwash with dollar signs, their perception traces its roots to several sources. Greed, overkill, false pretense, public and political influence ... pick your favorite flavor of ice cream, folks. It’s hot outside. Not only has the rebel faction evolved into one of the summer’s most popular topics of conversation, it has become a bit like the dog next door.
All that barking, and nobody seems to understand why.
Until LIV Golf secures a legitimate television contract, it will remain something of a phantom outlaw — almost invisible to the game’s fanbase and largely devoid of the credibility necessary for a fiscally stable product. That’s where Charles Barkley enters the picture. A longtime NBA analyst for TNT whose crossover appeal and giant Q rating make him an insatiable commodity for any company, especially a maligned startup, Barkley is one of those guys everybody knows, most people like and few people take all that seriously.
Greg Norman’s recent discussions with Sir Charles surely have a multiple purpose to them. TNT has emerged as America’s home of giggle golf since salivating its way into hosting the Tiger Woods-Phil Mickelson match in November 2018. It’s difficult to imagine a major network showing interest in the Shark’s little shotgun to Shangri-La, and with Fox Sports still smarting from that boot in the backside after its lousy experience carrying USGA events in the mid-2010s, LIV Golf is basically TNT’s by default.
Not for nothing, Norman needs a TV partner a lot more than TNT needs him. With or without Barkley guffawing up a storm on LIV telecasts.
No matter how hard a man works or how rich he gets, the last thing he wants to do is squander his fortune on a steady diet of foolishness. The Saudi currency behind LIV Golf might be staggering in size, but it’s not bottomless. At some point, and probably sooner rather than later, the Middle East money men will demand a return on their investment. With its reach to the masses and subsequent commercial viability, television is obviously the best way to accomplish those financial tasks.
“Right now, it’s a novelty act,” a longtime industry source says of LIV’s outset. “They have to do away with the shotgun start, and there’s no way a league that plays 54-hole tournaments is going to be sanctioned by the committee that [designates] World Ranking points.” Without OWGR status, future defections might slow to a crawl, leaving those who already bolted on an island without a boat. Some guys probably wouldn’t care, but in this context, the PGA Tour’s rank-and-file constituency doesn’t come into play.
Nobody turns on the TV to watch Ryan Palmer. Except maybe Mrs. Palmer.
On a number of fronts, the exposure factor makes television the most important element in the entire LIV equation. If the product is watchable, a matter on which the jury is still deliberating, viewer accessibility becomes an invaluable promotional tool. It can also pack an immense punch in terms of revenue generation. Without title sponsors or the boob tube, the Saudi spigots aren’t producing any water — no income other than ticket sales, which barely pays for lunch if you ask the PGA Tour’s accountants.
Will David Feherty actually enlarge the LIV Golf audience? The jury’s still out on that one, too. Barkley would be the more effective viewer magnet because he’s capable of luring people who wouldn’t otherwise watch golf on television, but it’s not like anyone pops the top on a Budweiser come Sunday afternoon and settles in to hear what the announcers are saying.
“The form of LIV Golf just isn’t functional as a TV event,” the industry source continues. “Is the purpose of its existence to be a disruptor or a developer?” That’s why Barkley’s recruitment is such a big deal. Not just because he’s a big deal, but because he makes noise. He says things the audience remembers. Those things don’t always make sense, but he gets the benefit of the doubt almost every time he opens his mouth, which is often.
He is one of the world’s premier attention-getters, and though it’s fairly arguable whether LIV Golf is getting too much attention or not enough, the fellas over at Club Shark will take every ounce of it they can get. TNT’s excitable, grab-the-pom-poms style of sports programming makes these two entities a peachy pair. Hey, it’s all fun and games. Jocks rock, and anyone who isn’t on board shouldn’t be here, anyway.
Former CBS analyst Gary McCord has been mentioned as another potential LIV hire. Experienced golf broadcasters should have been a priority from the start for Norman’s staff, but instead, an Australian-based production team went about the process as if it were a talent audition. You don’t air a golf tournament in the United States, even if it’s on YouTube, unless you’ve got some quality voices to carry the presentation.
As stated here a few weeks ago, there was nothing wrong with the way the Portland event was shot, produced and transmitted to viewers. The problem was the alarming absence of interesting commentary, which will wreck a telecast much faster than some cameraman having a bad day. McCord’s irreverent spitballing, Feherty’s eccentric wit and Barkley’s bombastic nature will make for a pretty good team if if comes together. A team that should have been assembled three months ago, before LIV came limping off the first tee.
That’s Norman’s fault. If you’re going to think big, you don’t downsize that mentality when it comes to choosing the men who will call your golf tournaments.
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