Up next for the CW? Professional golf, apparently
The beleaguered network has signed a multi-year deal with Saudi-backed LIV Golf, in what appears to be an attempt to appeal to older viewers
Ah, The CW. Everyone’s favorite one-stop shop for heart-eating dogs, 30-year-olds playing high schoolers that also happen to be immortal wizards (or whatever the hell else is going on over at Riverdale High), and, coming later this year… professional golf?
Yes, you read that correctly. New head honchos Nexstar Media Group seem to be making good on their promise to drag the famously unhinged network out of its rebellious teenage era and re-outfit it to appeal to their actual demographic: 58-year-olds. And what do 58-year-olds like more than anything else? Hilariously, The CW seems to think it’s men walking around hitting little balls (without even singing about it!).
The CW has signed an exclusive deal with LIV Golf, a professional tour that began last year with backing from the Saudi Arabian government, per Deadline. The network will air 14 matches on weekends in 2023, and they will also be available to stream live on the CW app.
“For The CW, our partnership with LIV Golf marks a significant milestone in our goal to re-engineer the network with quality, diversified programming for our viewers, advertisers and CW affiliates. This also marks the first time in The CW’s 17-year history that the network is the exclusive broadcast home for live mainstream sports,” said CW President Dennis Miller in a statement.
Of course, LIV Golf does not come without its share of controversy. Due to its connection to the Saudi government, the league has been accused of “sportswashing”—a term referring to sporting events employed by world leaders to repair (or distract from) human rights abuses and otherwise tarnished reputations—by activists and PGA veterans alike. While financial details of the agreement have not been disclosed, Deadline reports that this scandal, along with low viewership numbers, “kept the bidding from heating up.”
So, there you have it folks. The CW’s new direction (which is, perhaps, not so far from its old one). Now, all that’s left is to teach the new kids about the triumphs and defeats, the epic highs and lows of professional golf. Then they’ll really be part of the family.