Greg Norman has gotten close to some high-profile targets for LIV Golf broadcasts in recent weeks.
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On the subject of golf television, David Hills says there is good news and bad news.
The bad news? Golf television is dying.
And the good news? He is here to save you.
The legendary sports television producer (and longtime Fox Sports EP) has poured a considerable amount of energy into golf television in the months since taking a job as a broadcast consultant for the Saudi-backed LIV Golf. He, along with an experienced team of producers and television professionals, has been responsible for bringing the nascent sports league to light. And after many hours of careful consideration, he’s not happy to report that golf television is headed for catastrophe.
“How much time do we have? This is the terrible truth about golf,” Hill said.The Ourand and Marchand Sports Media Podcast“earlier this week. “The last figures I saw on golf, 50 percent of the TV audience was over 65, which means they’ll be dead in 25 years. Seventy-eight percent were over 50 years. So what does that tell you? The public is dying.”
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Hill’s employer, LIV Golf, has spent considerable resources to offer its product to younger viewers. This, he said, is no accident.
“I haven’t been to either tournament, but apparently, according to the guys that were there, it’s that the people that were in attendance were like 35 or younger,” Hill said. “So it’s fresh, it’s new and it’s different. There you go. It’s as simple as that.
But even if the initial results have been positive, Hill is in the business of getting people to clock golf tournaments, not necessarily attend them. To that end, LIV has been active in courting a number of high-profile on-air talents to add to its existing team. To date, David Feherty is the upstart league’s biggest addition, but rumors continue to swirl around others, like Gary McCord.
“Our first meeting when we started discussing the philosophy of broadcasting was right after I got back from John Madden’s funeral,” Hill said. “What that reinforced was the importance of great broadcasters. The speaker is the key. Because sports are about human beings for human beings, and the announcer does that. There are some great announcers, there are many good ones and there are several bad ones”.
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In fact, LIV’s main outreach target could be a man with no background in the world of professional golf: Charles Barkley. Barkley’s name has been attached to LIV ever since he showed up at an impromptu dinner with Norman. He has said that he is waiting for the league to come up with an offer, but he would be willing to jump. as long as the price is right.
“I have no idea what Charles and Greg talked about,” Hill said. “But you must admit that Charles must bring something to comment. I think Charles could bring a little more energy. Who knows?”
For David Hill and LIV, that’s the key: add something, anything, to turn the tide of the sport (and it sure wouldn’t hurt if a TV deal came with it).
“What we’re doing with LIV Golf, we’ve got Arlo White, we’re thrilled to have David Feherty, because David really injects fun into the commentary. And we’re looking for other guys to add,” Hill said. “It’s the comment that does it. They are the most important part of any producer’s weapon.”
