LIV Golf dealt big blow as streaming partner shuts down

LIV Golf has suffered a significant blow after one of its primary streaming partners shut down with immediate effect midway through the season. 

On Wednesday, it was announced that Caffeine TV, the upstart sports streaming service that provided free first round coverage of the Saudi-backed league, would close suddenly due to lagging profits.

“All good things come to an end,” a Caffeine TV statement read. “We’re at the point where we are still not quite profitable, so we’ve made the decision to end the service as of June 26th as we figure out our next steps.”

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It was just six months ago that Caffeine TV had secured LIV’s digital broadcasting rights.

In February, a LIV press release stated that the streaming service boasts a “younger, more diverse audience than many traditional broadcast platforms” and would provide “notable exposure for the league.”

LIV Golf is still available to watch by golf fans in the US on CW television and on the CW app after the league announced a deal with the network in January 2023.

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And streaming options are also available, with LIV ensuring they would bring their product straight to the consumer through the LIV Golf Plus app and on Youtube.

But the surprise Caffeine closure means LIV are now without a paid streaming partner in the United States, with six events still to play in the 2024 season.

It has left LIV bosses back in the market for a new streaming provider, two weeks before their next showpiece event at Real Club Valderrama in Andalucia.

Huge emphasis remains on media rights in LIV’s battle for exposure, and while the league has managed to secure over 20 international broadcasting partners since the 2022 inception, it is still yet to land a big-profit deal with a mainstream television partner or streaming platform in its biggest market, the United States.

Ben Parsons joined bunkered as a Content Producer in 2023 and is the man to come to for all of the latest news, across both the professional and amateur games. Formerly of The Mirror and Press Association, he is a member at Halifax Golf Club and is a long-suffering fan of both Manchester United and the Wales rugby team.