LIV Golf drops ‘Any Shot, Any Time’ feature, working to refund customers

If you were one of the dozens of people to purchase LIV Golf’s premium “Any Shot, Any Time” feature for $59.99 this season, fear not. The beleaguered golf league is working on a refund.

That’s because, according to a report by Josh Carpenter in Sports Business Journal, LIV Golf has done away with the premium livestream feature beginning with its event in Korea this week, potentially because it cannot afford to keep it running. Per Carpenter, “One source indicated that, with Saudi Arabia’s PIF tightening the belt on LIV spending, there had been payment issues with some broadcast vendors.”

LIV Golf’s future is very much in doubt following this season, when the PIF will pull its investment in the tour after losing billions of dollars attempting to upend the world of men’s professional golf. The league is actively courting investors, seeking more than $250 million, to keep the tour operational next year.

A LIV spokesperson told Carpenter the move to eliminate “Any Shot, Any Time” was a “strategic decision” as the league reevaluates its production model amid the financial turmoil.

The development is the latest in what has been a string of discouraging headlines for LIV Golf. The tour, once defined by its opulence, is now finding ways to cut corners financially. For the first time, LIV Golf is being forced to operate as a legitimate business rather than a vehicle for Saudi royalty to rub shoulders with the rich and powerful.

First, it’s the ability to stream any shot from any golfer at any time. But what’s next? In order to survive, LIV Golf will need to find massive cost savings in addition to the outside investment it seeks. The league is already on the hook for massive guaranteed contracts to players, and shrinking its ginormous tournament purses wouldn’t do wonders for talent retention. That doesn’t leave too many areas to cut costs. Production, however, seems to be one area where the league can.