LIV Golf

Several CBS-Owned CW Affiliates Won’t Air LIV Golf Events

LIV Golf: Coming *maybe* to a CW affiliate near you.

The CW announced earlier this month that it would air all of the upstart golf circuit’s 2023 events in 100% of markets across the network. The CW network reportedly failed to include that a list of affiliates declined to air the Saudi-backed series. Per Deadline, all eight of the CBS-owned CW affiliates have decided not to air the 54-hole weekend tournaments.

The eight affiliates that declined to broadcast LIV Golf are in the following markets: Philadelphia, Atlanta, San Francisco, Tampa, Seattle, Detroit, Sacramento, and Pittsburgh. In addition, the Weigel-owned affiliate in Chicago and Tegna-owned affiliates in San Diego and Hartford will not air LIV Golf.

The outlet also reported that the 12 Scripps-owned affiliates were “late in agreeing” to air the tournaments. Sinclair, which owns 30 affiliates, is rumored to be “receiving some sort of compensation” to broadcast LIV Golf.

LIV Golf will have 14 events this season after hosting eight in 2022. The first teed off Friday at the El Camaleón Mayakoba Golf Course in Mexico. Friday rounds air exclusively on The CW app with the linear CW broadcast picking up Saturdays and Sundays.

LIV Golf Kicks Off 2023 Season

Ahead of the first event of the season, LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman sat down for an interview with Golf.com. Amid criticism from PGA Tour star Rory McIlroy, who has publicly campaigned for Norman to step down, the two-time major winner urged McIlroy to watch his mouth.

“I’ve always been a fan of Rory McIlroy’s,” Norman said. “My advice to him would be, just sit back, take stock, watch what you say, because in the end there will be a situation where, you know, he’ll be asked a few questions that he may not want to be answering.”