LIV Golf secure major TV deal with UK broadcaster

The LIV Golf League has secured a deal to make the breakaway tour the only free-to-air golf in the UK.

The Saudi-backed circuit has struck a broadcast partnership with ITV to show the 54-hole events, starting on Friday for the second round of the season-opener in Riyadh.

ITVX will be the main platform showing LIV, with selected live broadcasts on ITV1 and ITV4, as well as a weekly highlights package on ITV 4.

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After LIV debuted on Fox Sports in the US on Thursday, this deal is seen as a major coup in its bid to bring the start-up to the mainstream.

Niall Sloanne, director of ITV Sport, said: “This is an exciting time for LIV Golf as we look ahead to the innovative 2025 season. This partnership delivers free-to-air coverage for fans in the UK and we are delighted to welcome LIV Golf to ITV Sport.”

Senior LIV executive Ron Weschler added: “Our partnership with ITV represents a major milestone as we strive to bring LIV Golf to every corner of the world.

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“With a premier sports broadcaster like ITV, we can ensure that more fans than ever will be able to access the excitement of the LIV Golf experience and connect with the world-class players, teams, and stories that make us a truly standalone global sports league.”

It is being described as a ‘landmark agreement’ by LIV bosses, who have also welcomed recent broadcast deals with Coupang Play in South Korea and Movistar Plus+ in Spain as it targets several new and existing global markets.

The league continues to operate independently from the PGA Tour, who on Thursday thanked President Donald Trump for with his help in progressing a unification deal with the Saudi Public Investment Fund which bankrolls the LIV circuit.

Ben Parsons joined bunkered as a Content Producer in 2023 and is the man to come to for all of the latest news, across both the professional and amateur games. Formerly of The Mirror and Press Association, he is a member at Halifax Golf Club and is a long-suffering fan of both Manchester United and the Wales rugby team.