This past weekend we had a strange sense of “Déjà vu” as LIV Golf announced their broadcast deal with the CW. On the one hand was a network with no sports to speak of saying the right things about finding a way into the valuable area of live programming. On the other hand you have LIV Golf talking about the crossover entertainment value that will be brought to the vast CW connections.
Then you also had condemning the deal for bringing the overlords of sportswashing to the network (But that’s another story).
The flashback’s came from a similar deal about 14 years ago, where our fledgling International Fight League struck a unique deal with what was then FOX owned my MyNetworks. We were going to be bringing the rising sport of MMA to a network that had some limited sports in markets but was trying to figure out a niche, which at that time was Telenovela’s and reruns of popular shows from years gone by. However they had a vast network in most markets, eager marketing and sales people, the power of the overall FOX brand driving it and lots of buzz for getting in on this new area…MMA…that the UFC had and was taking from cage fighting to the mainstream. The fights would also be rebroadcast, for those who couldn’t find the shows, on FOX’s then regional networks, FSN, to give additional cover and selling opportunities.
As we often say, it seemed like a good idea at the time.
One thing we ran into was consumer affinity. With limited marketing dollars there were some who found the property, but its not like MyNetworks was even close to being a destination for sports, let alone combat sports. We also faced the education challenge of local affiliates who were used to promoting serial and drama and selling those shows, and they did not have the understanding or the background to again sell to a different demo that was not following along. It was a vast mix of cultures.
There was also the clutter in the marketplace for content. In addition to the UFC and their blossoming deal with Spike TV (in the days before ESPN acceptance) you had Strikeforce and several other promotions also vying for eyeballs on platforms where native fans were going. There was no need to ask them to change viewing habits, but with IFL on MyNetworks there was an issue on trying to find when and where things were on (MyNetworks did give us a weeknight window for a taped show but it varied in local markets depending on what was being carried at the time).
And then of course there were ratings issues. The goal, 14 years ago, was for IFL to pull in a 1 national rating on a network which wasn’t generating much. And for the most it was a competition against sports ut against major prime time network shows. It was also mostly taped…although we did get to the one rating with the first few shows, the blowback from our core audience…that the shows play to drama and violence more than the actual fights…actually hurt the growth of the opportunity, and in a ratings driven business the partnership with My Networks…as cutting edge and buzzworthy as it was…fell flat.
We were not fishing where the fish were, and it was just too hard to create new viewing habits with limited budget in a short time. The show also did not ring true as authentic enough for the core audience, and Telenovela fans were not that quick to switch to MMA.
Now does this mean anything for the high budget, high star level and disrupting nature of LIV Golf?
It does in a few places.
First, changing viewing habits on any device is harder than ever. We simply can’t find, or remember what is on what platform. So if the CW has a plan for driving viewers of golf to their stations and then keeping them there consistently, there is hope. We haven’t really seen that ability anywhere as of yet so how will it work?
Then there is reach. The CW stations are limited in terrestrial reach, not in every market, so driving an overall viewing number that is sellable will take the effort of both a digital play and a broadcast play. That too will not be easy.
Third is the ability to sell and market. What will local stations need, what will they receive, how will player commitment work etc. etc. Just selling spots with no history will be a challenge.
Now if the content is great and the fans are engaged and brands are supporting LIV Golf their chances of success go up exponentially. There is also the ide that in the US the Tour right now does not care about the “traditional” areas of sponsorship or engagement, they are in in for the disruption and the exposure of opportunities for their deep pocketed investors. However that coffer, no matter how deep, isn’t a sustainable model. LIV Golf is needs to be a viable property, not a promotional tool.
So will LIV Golf become the awareness and revenue lifter the CW needs, with some mentions of how the NFL lifted FOX at a time when people questioned the spend and the engagement for “another” network? Is it a chance “just to get on broadcast” when none of the usual suspects would take it on?
It was another disruptive move by the property that stirred conversation, which is what they have based their existence on.
We will see…or we won’t see, once they tee it up.
Let’s see if the MMA lessons from the past also play out as well. If they do, oh boy the future may not be that bright, even for the golf disruptors.
