The National Press Club has slammed LIV Golf's new television deal as a "shameful PR stunt" that further glosses over human rights issues in Saudi Arabia.
This week, LIV CEO Greg Norman lauded a "momentous" day after the rebel tour finally secured live broadcast of their events. The eight tournaments held in 2022, that were spread across England, America, Thailand and Saudi Arabia, received paltry audiences as they could only be streamed via the LIV website and YouTube page.
However, 14 events are scheduled for 2023, all running over theree days and 54-holes. They will be aired live on the Netstar owned CW network on Saturdays and Sundays. Friday’s opening rounds meanwhile, will be available to viewers on the CW App.
However, the National Press Club undoubtedly does not share Norman's view, and has taken aim at Nexstar in a brutal statement released by President Jen Judson: “We are deeply disappointed that a company that makes money from news like Nexstar would agree to participate in such a shameful PR stunt as LIV Golf," he said.
"It is fundamentally designed to rehabilitate the Saudi reputation, tarnished irreparably by the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in October 2018. We are left to wonder what if anything Nexstar stands for. You cannot have a brand in news and act this way.
Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, Chairman of the Saudi Personal Investment Fund that financially supports LIV Golf, has been accused of an involvement in Khashoggi's death but denies all accusations suggesting he ordered the killing. He did accept he would take "full responsibility" for the journalists death as it was "committed by individuals working for the Saudi government."
Judson wasn't done there, demanding that Nexstar explain their reasoning for the deal: “Riyadh wants to use golf to get Americans to forget about murder," he added. "We must not let them get away with it.
"We call on Nexstar employees — many of whom are journalists — to demand management explain why they have partnered with the murderers of a journalist. We urge Nexstar to do the right thing and cancel their golf show. And if they don’t drop the program, here is what we can do: don’t watch it; and write each sponsor asking them not to sponsor.”
Norman himself has previously sparked controversy over Khashoggi, brushing off the saga with "we all make mistakes." This week however, he argued that Saudi Arabia had learnt from previous human rights issues and that LIV Golf was helping the country grow.
