Is LIV Golf Yasir Al-Rumayyan’s failed “personal pet project,” as Brendan Porath puts it? It may be, if you’re looking into the numbers working at the Saudi-backed league. The PIF’s billions invested in this breakaway league have yielded concerning returns. In 2023, LIV Golf lost $394 million, excluding its U.S. events, according to Money In Sport‘s report on LIV Golf’s UK division. Despite this, Phil Mickelson remains optimistic, citing the number of star players recently signed, even though no major names have joined since Jon Rahm 18 months ago.
Acknowledging he doesn’t know the “exact timeline,” Mickelson stated, “LIV has made incredible strides toward our goals.” At LIV Golf Virginia, he added, “We want all the best players in the world to compete against each other more often on a global scale, but the model I was part of for decades didn’t allow for that.” Sure, promising young players like Luis Masaveu, Tom McKibbin, and Josele Ballester have joined LIV Golf, but their addition remains insufficient compared to previous signings.
On the recent episode of Fried Egg Golf, Johnson points that out and continues, “In this case, there is nothing about the product that is of any value… any value to the PGA Tour. The only thing that has value, the only thing, is Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka, to a certain extent, Phil Mickelson, Cam Smith, probably DJ a little bit. But like that’s, and you spent three x the amount of money to acquire those players that you’re getting back. Like it’s just a, you know, like if you do, if you put this on paper of a, you know, what they do, like the five-year look backs at a deal or 10-year look backs of a free agency signing period, it’s like this is a disaster.”
LIV had strong momentum after signing Jon Rahm 18 months ago, but that has faded. Although Tyrrell Hatton followed Rahm, the league hasn’t attracted any marquee names since. Previously, LIV signed stars like Brooks Koepka, Bryson DeChambeau, Phil Mickelson, and Lee Westwood, among others. Now, the lack of star signings signals a “disaster” for LIV Golf, as Andy Johnson has put it.
Phil was asked yesterday about his current assessment where LIV Golf is.
Here’s his full 2.5 minute answer.
(Including a sly dig at Rory at the 1:00 mark) pic.twitter.com/a3hapxwTNC
— Jamie Kennedy (@jamierkennedy) June 5, 2025
The PGA Tour is now in a strong position as LIV insists on maintaining its current format, despite its flawed business model. Significant gaps exist between the PGA Tour, DP World Tour, and LIV Golf. The main issue is how to handle LIV Golf: the PGA Tour would prefer to see it diminished or transformed, while the PIF wants to keep it as a 14-event team league. Reducing LIV Golf to four events seems too few, while maintaining 14 appears excessive, leaving a substantial divide.
Brendan Porath discussed advertising rates for golf events, noting that for a random PGA Tour event like the Valpar, the buy rate for a 30-second spot on affiliates like Fox Detroit is “like 4,000 bucks,” while a similar spot on a LIV Fox affiliate costs “20 bucks” in April. Additionally, GOLF.com reports that on the seven Sundays this year when both tours held events, the PGA Tour averaged 3.1 million viewers on CBS and NBC, while LIV attracted 175,000 viewers on FOX, FS1, and FS2—about 18 times fewer viewers.
Considering these challenges, the PGA Tour clearly does not require LIV. Meanwhile, with the Public Investment Fund (PIF), valued at over $900 billion, ready to back LIV despite its annual losses in the hundreds of millions, LIV also does not depend on the PGA Tour. However, the breakaway league must see some promise in the circuit with the way it continues to successfully build sponsorships.
LIV Golf is ready to invest more money with a $250.11B sponsor on their hands
LIV Golf has announced a major partnership with Salesforce, which will use its digital platform, Agentforce, to improve how the league operates and connects with fans. Salesforce is worth about $250.11 billion and having them as LIV Golf’s sponsors will likely bring a large influx of sponsorship money. Salesforce’s branding will be visible at LIV events, starting with caddie uniforms and signs around the course. The goal of this partnership is to use Salesforce’s advanced technology, like AI and data analysis, to make tournament management easier, support players better, and create personalized experiences for fans. Two new products, the Fan Caddie and Agent Caddie, will change how fans engage with the sport by offering customized content and helpful insights during broadcasts.
This partnership is especially important for LIV Golf, as it faces challenges with falling TV ratings. By using Agentforce, LIV Golf hopes to improve its efficiency and grow as it expands worldwide. The Fan Caddie will give fans a second-screen experience with personalized highlights and live stats, while the Agent Caddie will provide predictive analytics during live broadcasts to enhance the viewing experience. This collaboration not only helps LIV Golf connect better with its audience but also shows its commitment to innovation in the sport, which could help it regain popularity in a competitive market.
The post Analyst Gives Phil Mickelson Disastrous Reality Check After Lefty Boasted LIV Golf’s Success appeared first on EssentiallySports.
