Jim Nantz takes funny shot at LIV over broadcast issues
February 11, 2019; Pebble Beach, CA, USA; American sportscaster Jim Nantz on the 18th hole during the conclusion of the final round of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am golf tournament at Pebble Beach Golf Links. The conclusion was delayed due to weather and darkness. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
CBS broadcaster Jim Nantz took a not-so-subtle shot at LIV Golf’s broadcast woes during his coverage of the PGA Championship on Thursday.
Nantz, calling the tournament for CBS, took aim at the rival golf league when LIV’s Dustin Johnson teed off Thursday. Johnson won last week’s LIV event in a playoff, and Nantz slyly pointed that out to viewers while making light of the league’s issues.
the jabs by Nantz never get old pic.twitter.com/CD2HOuXBuN
— Nick Switala (@Nick_Switala) May 18, 2023
“Not sure if you had a chance to see it but he was a winner last week in Tulsa in a playoff over Cam Smith and Branden Grace,” Nantz said.
This was not coincidental.
LIV, which has a U.S. television deal with The CW, faced some embarrassing headlines when many CW affiliates cut away from the playoff before it began because the broadcast ran long. In other words, anyone watching on TV missed the conclusion of the playoff unless they put in the effort to pull it up on the network’s streaming app.
The PGA and LIV remain huge rivals, and Nantz is obviously happy to stick with the PGA on this one. So are most golf fans, at least judging by the telling move LIV seems to have made regarding its TV ratings.
