darpar At least Nike got a return on their investment.

True, and it was a business decision only.
It's a bit early to say how LIV plays out, and whether it's all "business" related. which is unlikely.

      Spuzz it's all "business

      Not about being a "business", it's all about poking the bear (PGA/R&A).
      Without sponsorships and a tv deal....which is kind of weird because they have camera's
      all over the course, seemingly on every hole....they'll NEVER see any profits.
      Which they could apparently care less about, I bet some of those sheiks have rolls of t/p
      made from $100 bills!
      Btw where did all those camera crews and production staff come from?

          darpar I wouldn't say never as far as profit goes. Norman has already said this season is basically a characterization run and that the final format will be developed as they learn what works and what doesn't. It's a start up, so profit is generally unheard of unless you have a revolutionary new product. What they hope to do is steal enough of the PGA Tours customers to make a go at out competing the PGA Tour sponsors, or to make the PGA Tour want to make a deal. One or the other needs to fail or both will be unprofitable in the long run if they don't form a merger or non-compete agreement of some sort. The strength of LIV is that their investor might not mind taking a sustained loss for the future potential, but are Taylormade, Nike, and Callaway willing to do the same?

          Taylormade has indicated maybe not since they haven't (yet) cancelled sponsorship of their LIV golfer(s).

              darpar Btw where did all those camera crews and production staff come from?

              PGA doesn't have a nutsack hold on those guys.

                Spuzz Last Tee members are usually the first to poo poo change

                I poo-poo'd it at first.

                  johnnydoom I also recently saw a Srixon commercial that featured Koepka very prominently, so I guess not all companies are backing away from players who chose to go to the LIV tour.

                      rsvman2

                      Not sure how big these sponsors contracts are, but if LIV doesn’t get more exposure i.e. a TV deal then I’d think they’d have to take a look and see if they’re getting the bang for their buck.

                      Looking at the live gate attendance and that was weak as well. And if they aren’t allowed in the Majors then paying all that money and only getting 80,000 YouTube viewers doesn’t seem like a wise investment.

                      I’m sure they’ll give it time, but people have short attention spans and it’s possible one day people will say Brooks who? Lol Nike and Srixon will have to take notice. Just looking at the tea leaves as they stand today. Pure conjecture on my part. Time will tell.

                          Koepka's sponsor contract may have an extended deadline so that these ads were placed well in advance
                          and it may not be worth the hassle. Who knows.

                          Sneakylong
                          Don't know where you are getting your numbers for YouTube viewing numbers but YouTube shows 621,779 views for the Sunday Final Round...Maybe not "live" views in the moment, but that's a way larger number of viewers live and/or video than the 80,000 you mention...

                            Eguller If I told you, I’d get banned.

                            You gotta work harder than that to get banned.....................

                              johnnydoom It's a magical fairy land where you get shitloads of money but you have to consider Patrick Reed a valuable team mate

                              fixed it 😂

                                  Par4QC

                                  I think when people hear the term human rights it can be somewhat vague and it helps to know what specific human rights are at issue. Below is a little more specific of what is at issue regarding human rights in Saudi Arabia.

                                  From the article you posted the link to.

                                  "Saudi activist Omaima Al Najjar said there’s no denying the fact that conditions have improved for women in recent years, though she maintains that the right to drive and the right to travel are basic fundamental rights and not a sign of substantial progress.

                                  “It’s important to remind the women who are participating in this tour,” said Al Najjar, “that the Saudi women activists who made those changes happen are still on trial, being prosecuted, banned from activism and banned from traveling.”

                                  Al Najjar, now a surgical doctor living in Ireland, was a prominent blogger who took part in the right to drive campaign in Saudi and fled when she felt the risks were too great. It’s still too dangerous for her to return now.

                                  Al Najjar is head of campaigns for ALQST for Human Rights, documenting conditions in prisons and advocating for the release of activists.

                                  Al Najjar wants players to speak out not only about the activists, but the conditions of many migrant workers in Saudi Arabia. Women come from developing countries to work in the kingdom as maids and often have their passports confiscated as they are made to work seven days a week with no set schedule, “which is a sort of slavery,” Al Najjar said.

                                  Meanwhile, Saudi-born women are fleeing the country, she continued, despite recent reforms because there are no safe houses in the kingdom for victims of domestic violence.

                                  “There’s an issue of killing women in Saudi,” said Al Najjar, “and a lot of husbands kill their wives or a lot of fathers kill their daughters and the Saudi authorities do not do much about it.”

                                  These are the issues Al Najjar hopes that LPGA players who compete in Saudi Arabia will speak out against, even it means financial loss."

                                  “It’s important that they make such a statement,” she said, “and stand with Saudi women.”

                                      Sneakylong I know you won't believe or care, but there are women from that region who believe things should stay as they are. It conforms to their religious beliefs. I know two such women, that although they live in this country and do not have to follow those laws and customs, choose to do so voluntarily.

                                          johnnydoom

                                          I believe your anecdotal stories. Just as there are women in this country where their religion says they should be subservient to their husbands. But we should never condone imprisoning women for activism, domestic violence or the killing of women like what goes on in Saudi Arabia because of some extreme religious beliefs.