19 January 2025: After LIV Golf's recent announcements over deals with FOX in the United States and Channel 7 in Australia, many in the UK are wondering "where will we be able to watch LIV Golf in 2025?"
Since the very first day of LIV Golf in June 2022 the league has been available in the UK on YouTube, along with LIV Golf+ since its launch in 2023, but it has yet to be broadcast on a mainstream UK network. Sky Sports is the undisputed home of golf in the UK, but that no question precludes them from doing a deal with LIV Golf, due to their long term relationship with the PGA TOUR.
In all likelihood YouTube and LIV Golf+ will remain the channels open to us in the UK to watch LIV Golf, but wouldn't it be great to see BBC put their hat into the ring?
And it makes so much sense.
Since its inception LIV Golf has broadcast its coverage outside the United States ad-free, making it the perfect league for BBC to show, and because all the production is done by LIV Golf all BBC would have to pay is a rights fee to show 42 days of Live golf.
LIV Golf's coverage is essentially BBC Golf in the 21st century. Modern, fast coverage with an entertaining commentary team, and graphics which inform the viewer without an over-reliance upon stats. LIV Golf's lead commentator Arlo White began his career at BBC Radio, including BBC Radio Derby and BBC Radio 5 Live, where he commentated on the Super Bowl and Test Match Special.
The FOX deal will see LIV Golf broadcast on FOX, FS1, FS2 and FOX BUSINESS, and BBC could utilise its full platform to screen the 14 events during the season with all 42 days of the LIV Golf season could be streamed on the IPLAYER and BBC Sport website. BBC Three's target audience is the 16-34 age demographic, and with LIV Golf looking to reach this demographic it would make sense to place many of the rounds on BBC Three. BBC Three has an audience share of 0.60%, and reaches some 15 million people per month, which far exceeds that of Sky Sports Golf - which for July 2024 was 0.34% audience share, reach 2.39 million people in the month.
Will it happen? Most likely not, but if BBC wants to dip its toe back into golf then this could be the best way to do it.
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