The Shark will soon find himself out of the water.
According to a report by Josh Carpenter in Sports Business Journal, LIV Golf is expected to replace current CEO Greg Norman with former Philadelphia 76ers CEO Scott O’Neil.
O’Neil served as CEO for the 76ers from 2013 to 2017 before assuming the same role for Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, the ownership firm of the 76ers and New Jersey Devils. In 2022, O’Neil became CEO of London-based Merlin Entertainments, a global theme park and attractions company.
Per Carpenter, no deal is officially done, but it’s “on the one yard line.” The news comes amid reports last month that LIV was looking to replace Norman as CEO.
Norman will still seemingly be involved in LIV’s operations. He told Sports Illustrated last month that his contract with the tour goes through 2025.
The move signals LIV’s intentions to be a serious long-term player in the world of men’s professional golf. 18 months removed from the announcement of a “framework agreement” with the PGA Tour, the warring tours are preparing to, once again, compete separately during the 2025 season.
For its part, LIV is still in search of a new TV deal. The league’s original deal with The CW expired following the 2024 season, and there seems to be little appetite from the network for a renewal.
Getting LIV Golf distributed on some sort of mainstream platform will be O’Neil’s number one priority as he approaches the 2025 season.
About Drew Lerner
Drew Lerner is a staff writer for Awful Announcing and an aspiring cable subscriber. He previously covered sports media for Sports Media Watch. Future beat writer for the Oasis reunion tour.