The CW Television Network is venturing into sports.
The CW Television Network, which owned by Nexstar Media Group, Warner Bros Entertainment and Paramount, the parent company of CBS television, has decided to be the American TV rights holder of LIV Golf. LIV Golf is funded by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund. The CW Television Network is generally the fifth most viewed over-the-air TV network in the United States. It runs programming seven days a week as it airs nightly in prime time and has a Saturday morning live-action educational programming block called One Magnificent Morning. The network is now dipping into the sports market with the Saudi-back LIV Golf. The CW network will broadcast 14 LIV Golf events. Apparently the people behind the network, Nexstar, Warner Bros., and Paramount have no problems being business partners with the Saudis.
The Saudis are not great guys according to Phil Mickelson who decided to cast his lot with the Saudis and LIV Golf. Mickelson acknowledged that the Saudis were not exactly the nicest guys on the planet in comments in 2022. “They’re scary motherf**kers to get involved with. We know they killed Khashoggi and have a horrible record on human rights. They execute people over there for being gay. Knowing all of this, why would I even consider it? Because this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to reshape how the PGA Tour operates.” It is unlikely that the CW Television Network is paying any rights fees to LIV Golf. There probably is a revenue sharing deal in place where the two entities will split marketing revenues. The CW Television Networks involvement with LIV Golf should make the Professional Golf Association’s lawyers happy as LIV Golf cannot claim it was shut out by the PGA and American TV networks from presenting its product to America TV audiences. LIV Golf was suing the PGA on antitrust grounds.
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