LIV Golf files for bankruptcy protection after Saudi funding ends
LIV Golf has filed for bankruptcy protection in the US after Saudi funding ended, with a restructuring plan allowing players to leave.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
LIV Golf, the Saudi-backed breakaway league, has filed for bankruptcy protection in the United States as it attempts to restructure. The move comes after Saudi Arabia's public investment fund, which had ploughed more than $5 billion into the venture, withdrew its support. The league, launched four years ago, has divided the sport with its vast contracts and prize money that lured major winners such as Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau.
The filing, known as a Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the US, is intended to keep the league alive. LIV bosses say they have found new investors and hope to relaunch as a more financially disciplined, majority player-owned operation early next year. The new format, dubbed LIV 2.0, would retain a focus on team golf and entertainment.
Under the restructuring, players will not be obliged to stay. They will have the choice of whether to sign up to the new version. Jon Rahm, when asked about his future, said: "I still have a contract with LIV 1.0 that I'm more than willing to fulfil." His carefully chosen words suggest uncertainty about the path ahead.
The league's future now depends on which players decide to remain and whether the new investors can make the model sustainable. The bankruptcy filing marks a dramatic fall for a venture that once threatened to upend the traditional golf establishment.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | BBC One | ITV |
|---|---|---|
| LIV Golf filed for bankruptcy as part of a restructuring. | ||
| Saudi Arabia's public investment fund withdrew support from LIV Golf after investing more than $5 billion. | ||
| LIV Golf players will be allowed to leave the tour if they wish. | · | |
| Players will have the choice of whether to sign up to the new LIV Golf 2.0. | · |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
The BBC focused on the end of LIV Golf as it was known, the scale of spending, and the uncertainty for players. It highlighted the quote from Jon Rahm and the concept of LIV 2.0, giving a detailed picture of the restructuring process.
- “This is certainly the end of LIV golf as we've known it.”
- “Saudi Arabia's public investment fund pulled the plug earlier this year.”
- “I still have a contract with LIV 1.0 that I'm more than willing to fulfil.”
ITV gave a concise update, focusing on the bankruptcy protection filing and the new backers. It noted that players would be allowed to leave, but did not go into the same level of detail about the players' reactions or the history of the league.
- “The breakaway Saudi-backed LIV golf league has filed for bankruptcy protection in the United States.”
- “The league has got new backers, so it will be able to carry on.”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.