PGA Tour and LIV Golf are working to extend merger deadline into 2024

PGA Tour and LIV Golf are working to extend merger deadline into 2024


A PGA TOUR logo is seen after play was suspended due to severe storms during the third round of THE PLAYERS Championship held at THE PLAYERS Stadium course at TPC Sawgrass on May 14, 2011 in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.

Streeter Lecka | Getty Images

PGA Tour and LIV Golf are working to extend their proposed merger deadline, which was originally set at Dec. 31, Commissioner Jay Monaha told players in a memo on Sunday.

“While we had initially set a deadline of December 31, 2023, to reach an agreement, we are working to extend our negotiations into next year based on the progress we have made to date,” according to the memo obtained by CNBC.

Monahan told players their goal for 2024 is to reach agreements with Strategic Sports Group (SSG), the Public Investment Fund (PIF) and DP World Tour, bringing them on board as minority co-investors in PGA Tour Enterprises.

The PGA Tour recently announced that it was in the final round of negotiations with a coalition of U.S. investors, called Strategic Sports Group. The SSG is led by Fenway Sports Group. Monahan said they have made “meaningful progress” and have provided SSG with the due diligence information they requested.

“These partnerships will allow us to unify, innovate and invest in the game for the benefit of players, fans and sponsors,” he said.

The competing golf leagues are expected to make a formal decision on the combination ahead of the Masters tournament in April, according to The Telegraph, which first reported the extension.

The delay is the latest update in a long and tumultuous saga between the PGA Tour and Saudi Public Investment Fund-backed LIV Golf that has divided players and could dramatically change professional golf if the merger is completed.

The two entities agreed in June to combine commercial operations, shocking the global golf community and raising questions around competition and human rights considerations. Under the structure of the agreement, PGA Tour would hold a permanent controlling interest in the new entity’s board of directors and PIF would be a noncontrolling minority investor.

If the proposed merger is completed, PIF is prepared to invest $1 billion into the new commercial business. The agreement also includes the DP World Tour, also known as the PGA European Tour.

The deal is subject to likely antitrust scrutiny from the U.S. Federal Trade Commission and Justice Department.

Jay Monahan on the record: PGA Tour commissioner on LIV deal, medical leave of absence

Before the agreement, PGA Tour and LIV were locked in heated litigation as LIV Golf lured Tour players away, offering big contracts. LIV Golf most recently signed world No. 3 player Jon Rahm to a contract worth a reported $300 million.

Last month, the Tour told players it would begin offering direct equity ownership in the new company after it reaches a deal with investors.

In late November, PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan told Andrew Ross Sorkin at the DealBook Summit that he was meeting with Yasir Al-Rumayyan, chairman of LIV Golf and PIF governor, to continue discussions.

“When this gets finalized, the PGA Tour is going to be in a position where the athletes are owners in their sport and you’ve got not only the PIF, but you’ve likely got another co-investor with significant experience in business, in sport and [in] brand that’s going to help take the PGA Tour to another level,” Monahan said at the time.



Source

Auction sales fall 6% in the first half, raising fears of an art market shift
Business

Auction sales fall 6% in the first half, raising fears of an art market shift

Ups and Downs by KAWS, estimated£30000-£50000, on display during a preview at the Phillips showroom in central London, ahead of their forthcoming Evening and Day Editions auction. Picture date: Friday January 17, 2025. (Photo by Ian West/PA Images via Getty Images) Ian West – Pa Images | Pa Images | Getty Images A version of […]

Read More
FCC approves  billion Paramount-Skydance merger
Business

FCC approves $8 billion Paramount-Skydance merger

The Paramount Global headquarters in New York, US, on Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2024.  Yuki Iwamura | Bloomberg | Getty Images The Federal Communications Commission cleared the way Thursday for an $8 billion merger between Paramount and Skydance Media. The deal, which was announced more than a year ago, includes the CBS broadcast television network, Paramount […]

Read More
NFL in talks to take a 10% stake in ESPN
Business

NFL in talks to take a 10% stake in ESPN

Key Points The NFL is closing in on a deal to take a minority stake of up to 10% in ESPN, according to people familiar with the matter, potentially tying together two powerhouse brands in sports. The discussions are ongoing, and it’s possible the final deal may arrive at a smaller stake, according to the people. ESPN […]

Read More