LIV Golf

[Foxholer]

Still not feeling this team aspect to LIV.
Not bothered about the names TBH.

There is something there as a new dynamic for pro golf coverage but its not there right now.

Maybe they should actually play together as teams for the 1st 2 days.

Except there's 4 in each of the 12 team! Plus 6 non-teamers which is naff!

It's just a manipulation that they are promoting - pushing even, by how much the commentators are referring to it - as 'unique'. But, as you say, isn't really there!

 

[Deleted member 21445]

Except there's 4 in each of the 12 team! Plus 6 non-teamers which is naff!

It's just a manipulation that they are promoting - pushing even, by how much the commentators are referring to it - as 'unique'. But, as you say, isn't really there!

Needs rethinking but there is an embryo of a good idea.

 

[Orikoru]

Still not feeling this team aspect to LIV.
Not bothered about the names TBH.

There is something there as a new dynamic for pro golf coverage but its not there right now.

Maybe they should actually play together as teams for the 1st 2 days.

I reckon team kits is the way forward. ?

 

[Foxholer]

I reckon team kits is the way forward. ?

Team name on the back of caddy bib is enough (please/thanks).
As I posted before, a gimmick they are trying to turn into a USP. Doesn't work imo. The YouTube broadcast works much better, even though it was forced by lack of a recognised broadcaster.

 

[Mel Smooth]

Re: viewing figures - 100k plus for the Youtube UK channel, difficult to know if that's success or not. Better than some predicted, but for the money involved, the global figures will be of more interest; like Netflix I suspect LIV will keep this quiet initially.

I think a 2.15pm start on a Thursday and Friday is a hard sell to a UK audience; most golf fans (not all) will be at work and may not be able to access the coverage; Finishing on a Saturday also means some golf fans will miss out as they are playing golf.

As live streams go, Sky are offering the Curtis Cup, Scandi Mixed and the Canadian - total audience of 2.5k (2.1k + 200 + 200) vs 43k watching LIV.... although there could be a few 100k watching SKY on actual TV in the UK so the comparison isn't really like for like. I think at this stage it appears as if there's room for both the PGA Tour and LIV without either throwing their toys out of the pram. The Asian Tour will have more say in the coming months; the DPWT is probably done unless they decide to break their alliance with the PGA Tour and talk to LIV about memberships and releases.

Just to try and gauge some sort of difference from Centruion to Portland, the day 1 live stream from the latter has had 441 thousand views. Conclusion - it’s growing.

 

[woofers]

Except there's 4 in each of the 12 team! Plus 6 non-teamers which is naff!

Really? Are you sure ?

 

[Hobbit]

Just to try and gauge some sort of difference from Centruion to Portland, the day 1 live stream from the latter has had 441 thousand views. Conclusion - it’s growing.
View attachment 43254

It may well grow but I’d hardly call the figures from day 1 at Portland ‘v’ the first event as conclusive.

As an aside, I wonder how many of those that decry the “dirty” Saudi money have watched their team play Man City etc, or will be watching the World Cup later this year broadcast from another country with a similar regime? The Middle East has something the rest of the world needs, and that’s oil. Western govts will pay lip service to the demands for regime change. Bodies through the front gate will have little bearing on the next few months of LIV but it will be interesting to see what sponsorship it generates, if that’s a business goal.

 

[Backsticks]

And seriously, can anyone ever see a sports headline like 'Majestics surge into lead after superb 201' ?
Its a useful litmus test for sport versus nonsense - if the papers arent reporting the team event as sports news of interest to golf fans, then it isnt serious sport.

 

[Backsticks]

LIV already has all the sponsorship it needs - Saudi. Sponsors pay money for positive association. The Saudis are paying it to buy positive association with golfers worldwide.
But there is no positive association to be had from sponsoring LIV. Only negative. Marketing vice-presidents know better than to shoot themselves in the foot

 

[Deleted member 15344]

Not sure your comment on players giving out free tickets is a particularly valid comment. How many players do you think have friends and family living either close enough to the event or are willing to take holidays and travel at all or even for the final round.

As for the “very rich exhibition comp,” comment, is it a comp or an exhibition match? And how would you class the Masters with half the field being has-beens and pointless invites?

If you want to debate the morality of where the money comes from, fine I’m with you on that, but the rest of your argument is weak nitpicking.

they are offering free tickets to everyone and anyone on social media and through local golf clubs because the can’t get people through the gates with the paid tickets just as they did with the Centurion event. Not sure what it’s got to do with friends and family travelling but I don’t recall many times players offering free tickets for Tour events

And “half the field” at the Masters being “has beens and pointless invites” ? Really ? That’s not true is it when most of the field is - the top 50 in the world , recent winners on the pga tour , recent major winners and finishes in the recent majors

There is a handful of ex winners which could be called has been - the likes of Lyle , Mize etc then a handful of Amatuers- winners of the recent Big Am comps


So yes I would call it a rich exhibition as at the end of the comp all they win is a lot of money

 

[woofers]

The slight difference with the comparison to football activities and the World Cup is that we know the Qataris bought the World Cup via corrupt dealings with members of the discredited FIFA organisation, and also football is a team sport where, I believe, the player is NOT an independent contractor and therefore has limited choice as to where he plays. The golfers keep banging on about being independent contractors, they therefore have every opportunity to decide where to play and whose money to take. Whether there is a comparison to made between Greg Norman / LIV and the Qataris, I leave open.

 

[Deleted member 21445]

As soon as the DP World Tour aligned with the PGA Tour It was inevitable that we were heading to the courts at some point over all this one one or both sides of the pond.

Im guessing they have taken legal advice and been told they have a leg to stand on before taking this action.

https://www.skysports.com/golf/news...h-legal-action-unless-sanctions-are-rescinded

 

[Ethan]

The slight difference with the comparison to football activities and the World Cup is that we know the Qataris bought the World Cup via corrupt dealings with members of the discredited FIFA organisation, and also football is a team sport where, I believe, the player is NOT an independent contractor and therefore has limited choice as to where he plays. The golfers keep banging on about being independent contractors, they therefore have every opportunity to decide where to play and whose money to take. Whether there is a comparison to made between Greg Norman / LIV and the Qataris, I leave open.

Indeed. The players seem to emphasise the 'independent' part of 'independent contractors' rather than the 'contractor' part, i.e. they have signed a contract. They don't contract event by event. If they did, they wouldn't need releases from the PGA Tour to play non-PGA Tour events, but they do because they have signed a contract that says they do.

 

[Deleted member 21445]

they are offering free tickets to everyone and anyone on social media and through local golf clubs because the can’t get people through the gates with the paid tickets just as they did with the Centurion event. Not sure what it’s got to do with friends and family travelling but I don’t recall many times players offering free tickets for Tour events

And “half the field” at the Masters being “has beens and pointless invites” ? Really ? That’s not true is it when most of the field is - the top 50 in the world , recent winners on the pga tour , recent major winners and finishes in the recent majors

There is a handful of ex winners which could be called has been - the likes of Lyle , Mize etc then a handful of Amatuers- winners of the recent Big Am comps


So yes I would call it a rich exhibition as at the end of the comp all they win is a lot of money

Yes your right in saying right now all they win is a lot of money but its an unfair argument because for a title to gain prestige you need history, to gain history you need time.

It's only the 2nd event of a brand new tour trying to do something different.
When you do something different to what people have always known in anything it always polarise's opinion but if you launch something new and it's the same as the old under a new brand then it's not new and it doesn't stand out.

Everyone just needs to see how time judges this, it may disappear in 2 years or it may become the preeminent tour in the world.
For me either of those 2 things could happen and whether people like it or not the latter is possible right now.

 

[Backsticks]

It's only the 2nd event of a brand new tour trying to do something different.

Different doesnt mean better. In this case, the 'difference', is pathetic nonsense, and as far as offering something different goes, shows a total failure to find a better difference.

 

[timd77]

It may well grow but I’d hardly call the figures from day 1 at Portland ‘v’ the first event as conclusive.

As an aside, I wonder how many of those that decry the “dirty” Saudi money have watched their team play Man City etc, or will be watching the World Cup later this year broadcast from another country with a similar regime? The Middle East has something the rest of the world needs, and that’s oil. Western govts will pay lip service to the demands for regime change. Bodies through the front gate will have little bearing on the next few months of LIV but it will be interesting to see what sponsorship it generates, if that’s a business goal.

What has watching my team play Man City got to do with it? Do the other teams have a choice who they play against?

As for the World Cup, as has already been pointed out, everyone knows about the corruption and has kicked off about it, but again, what are the individual FAs and fans meant to do about it?

Daft point to make that.

 

[Mel Smooth]

And seriously, can anyone ever see a sports headline like 'Majestics surge into lead after superb 201' ?
Its a useful litmus test for sport versus nonsense - if the papers arent reporting the team event as sports news of interest to golf fans, then it isnt serious sport.

The final round in Miami is a team event. All the team results between Centurion and then, will determine the sports betting prices. While the teams may seem irrelevant now, as the series unfolds, the relevance will become more obvious. The teams are slowly gaining an identity, and I suspect many South African golf fans have already attached themselves to Stingers. It’s a new concept, it’s relatively alien to pro golf, but while I acknowledge it seems a weakness in the series at the moment, it won’t be by the time they all tee off in Miami.

 

[Deleted member 21445]

Different doesnt mean better. In this case, the 'difference', is pathetic nonsense, and as far as offering something different goes, shows a total failure to find a better difference.

That isn't a fact it is an opinion to which you are totally entitled to.

Plenty of others will agree with you but also there will be plenty of people who like or wants to see something different.

I am currently keeping an open mind about the format but I have to say say I really enjoyed the coverage of the first round in Portland last night and it felt more like a proper golf event because there were far more recognisable marquee names than in the first round in London

 

[Depreston]

Just to try and gauge some sort of difference from Centruion to Portland, the day 1 live stream from the latter has had 441 thousand views. Conclusion - it’s growing.
View attachment 43254

how is that then... i checked in a few times and it had 40k- 60k viewers watching

 

[doublebogey7]

Indeed. The players seem to emphasise the 'independent' part of 'independent contractors' rather than the 'contractor' part, i.e. they have signed a contract. They don't contract event by event. If they did, they wouldn't need releases from the PGA Tour to play non-PGA Tour events, but they do because they have signed a contract that says they do.

Players who have signed LIV contracts will also have a set of "rules" to stick to. The difference between the two is we broadly know the PGAT rules, doubt LIV will be so up front. Not sure I'd be wanting to break my contract with LIV under any circumstances, I could only guess of the consequences.