LIV Golf has struck a major television breakthrough after agreeing a new deal to be shown on ITV, starting with this weekend’s season-opening event in Riyadh.
Coverage of the Saudi Arabia-backed rebel tour means that LIV will be the only free-to-air golf available in the United Kingdom, following the BBC’s decision not to renew highlights of the Masters in 2023. That decision came seven years after the corporation ended live coverage of the Open.
“This is an exciting time for LIV Golf as we look ahead to the innovative 2025 season,” said Niall Sloane, director of ITV Sport. “This partnership delivers free-to-air coverage for fans and we are delighted to welcome LIV Golf to ITV Sport.”
As first reported by The Times, LIV events will be hosted on ITV’s on-demand service ITVX, with selected events also shown on ITV1 and ITV4. There will also be a highlights package after each event.
The PGA Tour, which remains locked in negotiations with LIV over a merger that is being brokered by President Donald Trump, continues to be broadcast exclusively on Sky Sports, which holds live rights to the Masters, the US PGA Championship, the US Open and the Open each year. The subscription channel will also show this year’s Ryder Cup in September at Bethpage.
ITV risks a backlash with its decision to strike a deal with LIV, as the series has been criticised for being bankrolled by the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF), which has faced scrutiny over human rights abuses in the Gulf state.
However, there has been a thawing of relations between the PGA Tour and PIF since a framework merger was announced in June 2023, and it emerged on Thursday that Trump had been brought into negotiations – which included the support of 15-time major winner Tiger Woods – that took place earlier this week.
Jay Monahan, the PGA Tour commissioner, and player-director Adam Scott, met Trump on Tuesday as efforts continue to strike a deal between the US-based circuit, the DP World Tour and PIF.
A statement released on Thursday on behalf of Monahan, Scott and fellow player-director Woods said: “We know golf fans are eagerly anticipating a resolution to negotiations with the Public Investment Fund and want to thank President Trump for his interest and long-time support of the game of golf.
“We asked the president to get involved for the good of the game, the good of the country, and for all the countries involved.
“We are grateful that his leadership has brought us closer to a final deal, paving the way for reunification of men’s professional golf.”
Rory McIlroy said in November that he believed Trump becoming US president for the second time could help “clear the way” for a peace deal in golf’s civil war.
The four-time major winner had previously said that a 50-50 split between players on both sides and the US Department of Justice represented the biggest obstacles to a deal, with the DOJ having already forced a non-solicitation clause to be removed from the framework agreement.
However, Trump will be able to influence the priorities of the DOJ and has a close relationship with Saudi Arabia and LIV Golf, with several of their 54-hole events being staged at Trump-owned courses.
Speaking the day after the US presidential election, McIlroy was asked if he would be surprised if a deal had already been completed, as was reported in a national newspaper at the weekend.
“Yeah, I would, but then obviously given today’s news with what’s happened in America, I think that clears the way a little bit. So we’ll see,” McIlroy said.
McIlroy also agreed with the suggestion that the DOJ being more amenable to a deal would be “a huge moment” and was asked in a separate interview about Trump’s claim that he could secure a deal in 15 minutes.
“He might be able to,” McIlroy told Sky Sports. “He’s got Elon Musk, who I think is the smartest man in the world, beside him. We might be able to do something if we can get Musk involved, too.
“Yeah, I think from the outside looking in, it’s probably a little less complicated than it actually is.
“But obviously Trump has a great relationship with Saudi Arabia. He’s got a great relationship with golf. He’s a lover of golf. So, maybe. Who knows?
“But I think as the president of the United States again, he’s probably got bigger things to focus on than golf.”
On Wednesday it was also announced that the US Open will become the first major to officially recognise LIV Golf by offering some players exemptions for the 2025 and 2026 events, creating a potential pathway for breakaway players back into the four biggest events on the calendar.
