The first year of LIV Golf’s broadcast partnership with The CW reached a new low on Sunday. While Brendan Grace, Dustin Johnson and Cam Smith were battling in a three-way playoff at LIV Tulsa, the network incredibly switched from the live action to air various reruns across its regional outposts.
So instead of seeing Johnson rally back from an early triple bogey to win his second event on the Saudi-backed circuit, viewers were instead treated to either Family Feud, Penn & Teller or infomercials (depending on their market).
It’s not like other sports leagues haven’t dealt with similar issues. The NFL had its infamous Heidi Game. The NBA Finals were once on tape delay. Even the Miracle on Ice at the Lake Placid Olympics didn’t air live at the time. But that was all in the late 1960s through the 1980s. The TV landscape of today is incomparable — and we’re not even talking about streaming here.
Sure, a two-hour rain delay in Tulsa impacted Sunday schedules. Yet networks typically plan for those conflicts.
Which is to say what happened to LIV Golf on Sunday simply cannot happen in 2023. Not for an upstart league trying to grow an audience just days before one of the biggest events of the golf season takes place with the PGA Championship.
😂 here’s my recorded broadcast in Oregon pic.twitter.com/31EMn83EJJ
— Apollo Vermouth (@McbillsonBill) May 15, 2023
Fan reaction was all over the board with many laughing at LIV’s misfortunes and others genuinely upset they were missing a thrilling finish.
Golf fans couldn't believe The CW coverage
Are we gonna acknowledge @TheCW turning off the broadcast with 3 way tie and 4 holes to go? You picked a helluva partner @livgolf_league 😂😂😂
— gelofool (@gelofool) May 15, 2023
The biggest losers yesterday asides from the everyday loser, Brandon?
EVERY @TheCW affiliate, including @KTLA, which cut from live coverage of an exciting @livgolf_league tournament in Tulsa to show informercials & other garbage programming at approximately 3:30pm PT yesterday.
— John Cole (@Alt1J) May 15, 2023
It is funny to hear that the LIV tournament this weekend was preempted on several CW stations by reruns of Chicago PD, or Infomercials. Great to see that they stations are getting better ratings and money using infomercials or old reruns over a live golf tournament.
— Joseph Haygood (Please Get Vaccinated) (@mclazyj) May 15, 2023
LIV needs to pay the CW more to keep its tournaments on when they run over because apparently Family Feud reruns are gonna do better numbers. Sports washing ain’t cheap. https://t.co/xVVTmVZGoh
— Roger on bass (@HalsMisbegotten) May 15, 2023
The CW don't give a flip about LIV golf pic.twitter.com/toBVOXuUQB
— Blair (@ppplease101) May 15, 2023
We’ve got Young Sheldon here in Birmingham 😂😂
— Chris Breece (@ChrisBreece) May 14, 2023
CW dropped LIV to show some parade. This is amazing https://t.co/9pFFy0WEtR pic.twitter.com/xGJVMHvELd
— Sam (@Skulledwedge) May 14, 2023
At the risk of stating the obvious: *Any* sports network dropping a live broadcast seconds before overtime is a terrible look.
Doesn't matter if it's also available on an app. Doesn't matter if it wasn't dropped everywhere. Shouldn't happen. Period. https://t.co/v7DoQCGKUt
— James Colgan (@jamescolgan26) May 15, 2023
so there’s no way to watch @livgolf_league in a 3-way playoff without paying money for the liv golf + thing now that CW went to infomercial… how is that going to make your league successful?
— Tom Laughlin (@tblaughlin) May 14, 2023
LIV golf and the CW are so embarrassing lol
— Hayden Brown (@yaboybap) May 14, 2023
The CW affiliate in Las Vegas took off the LIV broadcast before it was completed to run a Chicago PD already in progress.
— Wes Reynolds (@WesReynolds1) May 14, 2023
