Phil Mickelson and other LIV rebels will be given a pathway to reinstatement to the PGA Tour under the deal, which will see the PGA’s prestige, television contracts and marketing muscle bolstered with Saudi money. Photo / Getty Images
Phil Mickelson and other LIV rebels will be given a pathway to reinstatement to the PGA Tour under the deal, which will see the PGA’s prestige, television contracts and marketing muscle bolstered with Saudi money. Photo / Getty Images
In early afternoon trading the pay-TV provider was up 0.4 per cent to $2.53 when the NZX50 was down 1 per cent.
The breakaway Saudi-backed LIV was pushing Kiwis and other global viewersto its LIV+ app for live tournament coverage, building on the trend for sporting bodies to stream directly to the consumer.
Now, the fragmentation threat appears to have receded.
“Sky is a long-term supporter and partner of both the PGA and DP World Tour, and we love bringing this great golf coverage to our customers. It’s encouraging to see this agreement has been reached,” Sky chief corporate affairs officer Chris Major told the Herald.
Phil Mickelson and other LIV rebels will be given a pathway to reinstatement to the PGA Tour under the deal, which will see the PGA’s prestige, television contracts and marketing muscle bolstered with Saudi money. Photo / Getty Images
This morning, the PGA Tour and challenger LIV Golf - backed by the Saudi government’s Public Investment Fund - said they had reached a deal following secret talks that, by a New York Times account, “blindsided virtually all of the world’s top players, agents and broadcasters”.
The deal, which also includes the DP World Tour (the PGA’s European Tour), will create a new company that would consolidate the PGA Tour’s prestige, television contracts and marketing muscle with Saudi money, the Times said.
The deal will see the full lustre - and viewer appeal - of the PGA World Tour restored as defectors like Brooks Koepka, Phil Mickelson and Cameron Smith are expected to be given pathways for reinstatement to the PGA Tour or the DP World Tour.
Terry Strada, the chairwoman of 9/11 Families United, who had assailed the Saudi foray into golf because of misgivings about the kingdom after the 2001 terrorist attacks, said the PGA Tour was “taking billions of dollars to cleanse the Saudi reputation”.
