NBC Sports Chief’s ‘Total Sideshow’ LIV Golf Comments Raise Two Key Questions - How Will Saudi-Backed Tour Respond?

Although there's been a prolonged stagnation in terms of agreeing a deal there has at least been a more amicable relationship between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf of late - that is before NBC chief Sam Flood threw a grenade.

NBC Sports executive director Flood has dished out a jibe at LIV Golf over TV ratings, and by calling it a "sideshow" his comments will no doubt find their way to Saudi Arabia.

And while Flood was upbeat in talking about the PGA Tour's improving ratings and a continued partnership with NBC, he cast doubt over LIV Golf's own future due to the lack of viewers being pulled in.

And it brought up big questions for LIV Golf, about whether the future lies outside of the United States and whether the Saudi PIF needs to inject even more cash to re-stock the field with golf's biggest names.

What did NBC Sports chief say about LIV Golf?

Ratings have been a big issue throughout golf, but the PGA Tour numbers in 2025 seem to be rebounding from last year, and that bodes well for NBC moving forward

“We feel a lot better than we did a year ago,” Flood said in an exclusive with Golf.com.

“Everyone feels a lot better than they did a year ago, because golf is heading in a much better direction. I think we’ve had really good results, good tournaments, good drama. Now we just need a great U.S. Open, and roll that right into a great Open Championship, and we’ll be smiling all the way to the bank.”

PGA Tour numbers dipped as LIV Golf viewers climbed, but even with a new TV deal with FOX, Flood does not see it as a big rival anymore.

“The LIV stuff is almost a total sideshow,” he insisted. “The reality is, their opportunity was when the tournament happened in Doral [LIV Miami], and they had every name on the leaderboard and no one paid attention.”

Those are comments that neither new LIV Golf boss Scott O'Neil nor FOX will enjoy hearing - and the response will be interesting.

How will LIV Golf respond?

TV ratings can be clouded in one way or another, and that's before you take streaming and online viewing into account.

But a Golf.com analysis of TV ratings reports that LIV Miami saw an average of 603,000 viewers in Nielsen’s Big Data + Panel against the 2.2 million for NBC’s Valero Texas Open coverage, which peaked at 4m for the end of tournament.

If LIV Golf bosses are concerned about TV numbers, what could the response be? There are two avenues to consider - they could crack open the PIF checkbook again or switch focus away from the USA.

The PIF has already piled billions into LIV Golf, but Joaquin Niemann dominating isn't moving the needle and the first wave of big signings like Dustin Johnson, Ian Poulter, Bubba Watson and the like are nearing the end of their contracts.

Bryson DeChambeau is a hit but beyond that LIV Golf may need some fresh big names to spark an upturn in viewers - as even the huge fee splashed out on Jon Rahm doesn't seem to be working.

So perhaps LIV Golf will launch another raid on the PGA Tour again armed with more Saudi PIF millions to tempt some of the biggest names in the game to join.

Will LIV Golf focus on going global?

“That to me said [the LIV] product is not relevant in this country," said Flood as his other big takeaway from the ratings research.

And maybe that's true. Maybe in golf's bright new future when it finally gets sorted out the PGA Tour will still be USA based and LIV Golf willl be a standalone global tour?

Growing the game has been a buzzword for years, and whatever side you're on, bringing the likes of DeChambeau, Rahm, Phil Mickelson and the like to Australia, the Fast East and India has to be a good thing for the sport in those areas.

And that's a direction O'Neil has hinted they could be moving in, while revealing that 2.5m watched the LIV season opener around the world.

"It's not that the facts aren't accurate," O'Neil told ESPN. "It's just we're playing a different game. Check our ratings in the Middle East. Check our ratings in Europe when we're playing there.

"I like where we are, like our positioning. I like being a global sports league. I think that's different."

So instead of trying to crack America, where the PGA Tour has deep roots cemented over decades, LIV could focus on developing new tournaments across the globe - even form an alliance with the DP World Tour in some way to combine as a truly global outfit.

It may seem like admitting defeat to some, but it could be the best way for every party to thrive, and for golf to finally end all the hostilities and operate as one.