LIV to broadcast part of 2023 season on tape delay

Don’t Blink! … or do. For those watching LIV Golf on TV in 2023, it might not matter very much.

In the first year of LIV’s television deal with the CW, Saturday and Sunday broadcasts of the Saudi-backed upstart league’s international events will air in the U.S. on tape delay, a spokeswoman confirmed to GOLF.

The international events, which represent roughly one-third of LIV’s 2023 schedule, will air on weekends from 1-6 p.m. ET on the CW, irrespective of the tournament’s actual start or end time. Those who wish to watch the action live will be directed to the CW app, which will stream the tournaments live for viewers.

Under the agreed plan, five of 14 LIV events in 2023 will be broadcast on a tape delay in the U.S., including those held in Australia, Singapore, Spain, England and the team championship held in Saudi Arabia. LIV events held in North America will also be broadcast on the CW in the 1-6 p.m. window on Saturdays and Sundays, but that window will overlap with the live tournament and therefore not require a tape delay. Friday coverage from all 14 LIV events will be exclusive to the CW app.

The decision comes to light just days before the start of the 2023 LIV season, the first full season contested by the upstart league, and marks a tremendous shift from the traditional business of live sports television, in which events are typically broadcast live to viewers. For years, NBC has famously (and controversially) operated a tape delay policy for its Olympics coverage to the chagrin of viewers, who have argued that such measures are both antiquated and irrelevant in the Internet age.

The tape delays will bring with them a whole host of operational challenges for the league, which is still learning how to leverage intrigue into legitimate interest, and legitimate interest into revenue. LIV must now figure out social and digital media strategies meant to attract maximum attention while not alienating or spoiling those who have chosen to watch on delay. In some cases, the results of an international LIV event will have been public knowledge for as many as 12 hours before the final-round broadcast is aired on the CW.

But tape delays make for smart business for television executives who can seize primetime viewing hours for a sporting event (and the extra pools of advertising dollars that come with them) at the price of notoriety. With LIV, the CW will be capable of maximizing advertiser interest during two prime weekend afternoon broadcast slots. In theory, such a decision should help maximize profitability and viewership for both the network and league, which will split advertising revenues in the first year of its agreement.

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LIV and the CW are in just the first month of a “multi-year” broadcast agreement that will bring LIV to more than 200 million U.S. households. Under the agreement, the league will continue to manage production (and production costs) of its broadcasts, while the CW will provide a network and streaming home for the league’s broadcasts. The CW, which was purchased last year by broadcast media giant Nexstar, is undergoing a strategic shift aimed at turning the network toward profitability. Sports are believed to be at the center of that strategy, with LIV as the network’s first partner.

The pair’s relationship will officially get underway this weekend in Mexico when LIV holds its season-opening event at former PGA Tour stop Mayakoba. On Monday, the league announced its complete rosters for the 2023 season, claiming six additional PGA Tour converts but none ranked inside the top 20 in the world. The 2023 LIV Golf season will get underway on Friday at 1:15 p.m. ET on the CW app.