LIV Golf (Saudi PIF), "Mergers," and More

[klineka]

31 minutes ago, iacas said:

So many golf shots. The sound is annoying when the score graphic appears.

The Tour is screwed.

Meaning the PGA Tour is screwed?

Or the LIV?

[keeps21]

There seems to have been a lot of misreading of the greens today.

[iacas]

27 minutes ago, klineka said:

Meaning the PGA Tour is screwed?

PGA Tour.

I don't think they can do something fast enough.

[phillyk]

10 minutes ago, iacas said:

PGA Tour.

I don't think they can do something fast enough.

The espn+ coverage shows a good amount of golf. It’s just the tv broadcast that needs an upgrade. 

[sjduffers]

3 minutes ago, phillyk said:

The espn+ coverage shows a good amount of golf. It’s just the tv broadcast that needs an upgrade. 

The network TV boadcast (NBC, CBS) has needed an upgrade in quite some time, indeed. The best thing they added recently was the shot tracker: it really makes watching more interesting. The network broadcast is unwatchable, except during the majors with their limited commercials.

The only way I watch golf on TV nowadays is to DVR a round and watch it later, fast forwarding through most of it (and definitely all the commercials), and I do that with the majors as well, but there is a lot less fast forwarding for those...

[Double Mocha Man]

2 minutes ago, sjduffers said:

fast forwarding through most of it (and definitely all the commercials)

How are you ever going to know all the benefits of the Stealth driver?!

[Darkfrog]

11 minutes ago, sjduffers said:

The network TV boadcast (NBC, CBS) has needed an upgrade in quite some time, indeed. The best thing they added recently was the shot tracker: it really makes watching more interesting. The network broadcast is unwatchable, except during the majors with their limited commercials.

The only way I watch golf on TV nowadays is to DVR a round and watch it later, fast forwarding through most of it (and definitely all the commercials), and I do that with the majors as well, but there is a lot less fast forwarding for those...

Yeah, it's hard to watch with the commercial load, and the "playing through" feature isn't well executed. I think that the amount of commercials per broadcast are pre-determined and contractually obligated. I don't know if LIV's plan is to forgo sponsorship and just use the Saudi money to avoid the same problem, or work sponsorship money into the TV/streaming product in a way that doesn't include commercials, like team sponsorships.

[cutchemist42]

Checked it out a but on YT and it is a better viewing product to me so far. Feels more polished with more golf. CBS could learn something.

[70sSanO]

The future of either tour will depend on attracting young and exiting players.  If LIV is able to fast track the top college kids, that is what will be the real threat to the PGA.  And whichever tour is able to market their up and coming pros will be better positioned to keep those fans in the fold.

John

[Double Mocha Man]

8 minutes ago, 70sSanO said:

The future of either tour will depend on attracting young and exiting players.

The tour needs another Arnold Palmer!

[Alx]

Considering the LIV channel is pretty new, and probably not getting pushed by the algo getting 100k viewers is decent. I like the broadcast, the cuts are short enough and the graphics are good. Some kinks to iron out still, such as the score sound.

Ultimately I think the PGA tour has no one to blame for this but themselves. Theyve had a monopoly on pro golf for years and instead of capitalizing theyve largely failed or refused to evolve.  The access to their product through "modern" media like yt, twitch, and other free streaming is also pretty poor.

Ill definitely watch at least some of the LIV tournaments just because its there and easy to view, at least for now.

[jbishop15]

 

[Dr. Manhattan]

1 hour ago, iacas said:

PGA Tour (is screwed).

I don't think they can do something fast enough.

 

They need Augusta & PGA of America to bail them out. This isn't like Exxon vs. Chevron in the market, it's Exxon vs. Saudi Aramco. PGA Tour does not have the money to compete. The majors are the only thing that might be a game changer in their favor. 

[nevets88]

This is a good recap on how the PGA Tour came about and recent events. 
 

PGA Tour: Playing Under Pressure - [Business Breakdowns, EP. 60] — Business Breakdowns

---

This is Dom Cooke and today we are breaking down the PGA Tour. Alongside the four standalone...

 

[Big Lex]

I found the broadcast very entertaining, even with the annoying elevator-tone when a player's score would be highlighted. And I would agree that the PGA Tour has a problem on its hands. As for it being "an exhibition," I would argue that all pro sports are exhibitions. That's the whole point: we get to create heroes and see them fight and battle, without there being an actual war. Governing bodies and so forth legitimize certain events as true "world championships," but the reality is they are all just games, and it's all exhibitions, for our entertainment. Right now, LIV golf has entertainment value, because of those top players...and the small fields and shotgun format mean that when you tune in, you are seeing lots of shots by star players. I expect we will see more players jump in the coming weeks. 

None of that is to say that I think any of it is ethically "clean," i.e., the sportswashing aspect. But it is what it is. 

 

 

[iacas]

 

[Dr. Manhattan]

1 minute ago, iacas said:

 

 

Phil himself will need to learn to keep his mouth shut moving forward. If he says one thing the Saudis don't like, he might find himself chopped into 1,000 pieces like the Washington Post guy. He already said stuff they don't like a few months ago. 

Edited June 9, 2022 by Dr. Manhattan

[iacas]

Here's a thread worth reading (the whole thread):

 

1 hour ago, cutchemist42 said:

Checked it out a but on YT and it is a better viewing product to me so far. Feels more polished with more golf. CBS could learn something.

They literally have no commercials, so… I mean… yeah.