NBC Sports Chief Declares LIV Golf Irrelevant Amid PGA Negotiations

Sam Flood, Executive Producer and President of NBC Sports, has publicly criticized LIV Golf, describing it as "almost a total sideshow" and asserting that it remains irrelevant in the U.S. golf market despite featuring top players like Phil Mickelson and Bryson DeChambeau. Flood highlighted the stark contrast in television ratings between LIV Golf's Miami event, which drew fewer than 600,000 viewers, and the concurrent PGA Tour's Valero Texas Open, which attracted over 1.7 million viewers, underscoring the PGA Tour's dominance. The PGA Tour and LIV Golf have engaged in reunification talks, including a $1.5 billion investment offer from LIV, but negotiations have stalled due to unacceptable terms, including LIV's request to maintain its status as a recognized professional league and for its chairman to join PGA Tour enterprises. Despite LIV's multi-year broadcast deal with Fox Sports, the league struggles to grow its fan base and financial profitability. Flood's position, overseeing NBC's extensive golf coverage, reinforces the PGA Tour's leverage in these negotiations and reflects skepticism about LIV's long-term impact on the sport's viewership in the U.S. Players like Bryson DeChambeau remain committed to LIV Golf, but the league's influence appears limited compared to the PGA Tour's entrenched popularity.