France Press website revealed that the disruptive new LIV Golf circuit, backed by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS), could pay for TV coverage temporarily as it tries to build a long-term presence.
LIV, whose luring of top players with record purses has enraged golf’s establishment, is currently on a “roadshow” of US and international broadcasters, president and chief operating officer Atul Khosla told France Press.
Responding to a report that LIV will buy air-time from US network Fox Sports, Khosla said LIV did not have “commercial terms figured out with any partner”.
With huge financial rewards, including a reported $200 million signing-on fee for 52-year-old Phil Mickelson, and at least $4 million for tournament winners, the attraction for players is clear.
However, they cannot earn world rankings points on LIV, affecting their chances of playing the four major championships. They are also barred from playing the US PGA Tour, while a similar suspension in Europe is currently before the courts.
MBS Whitewash His Poor Record
Since being in office, MBS has been accused of using sport to whitewash his poor human rights record, especially after the Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi’s killing in the Kingdom’s consulate in Istanbul in 2018.
MBS has displayed a ruthless ambition to force his way to the very top of the political tree, silencing rivals and opponents from across the spectrum since his meteoric rise began in 2015.
The LIV golf: a Saudi sportswashing tool
Along the same line, Yahoo Sports charged that the Saudi regime is using high-profile international sporting events in a bid to bolster its reputation.
Professional golf has this year been roiled by the emergence of LIV Golf, a Saudi-funded breakaway circuit that has lured stars from the US PGA Tour with eye-watering prize money of $25 million per tournament, the sports website said.
According to the source, LIV’s CEO Greg Norman stands accused of tearing golf apart with help from the deep-pocketed Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF), in what activists describe as “sportswashing” –- using sport to distract from human rights abuses.
Meanwhile, media reports affirmed that LIV has been denied broadcasting rights by major broadcasting giants. CBS, NBC, and ESPN have already pledged their loyalty to the PGA Tour. Apple TV was one of the major broadcasters LIV was counting on.
However, recently, as per the sources, Apple TV and Amazon have also denied LIV the opportunity to be broadcasted on their platform. The streaming service termed the Saudi funded series as “too toxic” for them to broadcast it on their platform.
The Gamer Prince
Despite the domestic and global difficult economic crisis and its involvement in Yemen’s war, Saudi Crown Prince MBS spent an insane amount of money in one game or company’s ecosystem.
Dot eSports revealed that MBS was one of the biggest spenders, affirming that he has already spent more than $6,000 on The International 2020 Battle Pass.
Over the last three years, he spent a combined $69,494 and counting on the Battle Pass alone, with $42,100 of that coming from 2018. He has been the top contributor in each of those years and set a record by reaching Level 175,000 in 2017.
MBS has been active on Dota since 2011 and has played over 10,000 matches in Dota, totalling a 5,772-5,467 win/loss record—a 51-percent win rate.
His play-time is private, but at the last time of recording, they had put 9,046 hours into Dota, along with nearly 550 hours in Team Fortress 2.
The new findings sparked large criticism on social media, where online activists accused the gamer prince of being also addicted to cocaine.
Others linked his brutal crackdown in the Kingdom with his addiction to video games.
