Report: Donald Trump's son-in-law calls top TV exec over LIV Golf deal
Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner has reportedly reached out to a media contact in the United States to try and broker a huge TV deal for LIV Golf.
Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner has reportedly implored one of his media connections in the United States to help broker a huge media rights deal for the Saudi-backed LIV Golf Invitational Series.
According to a report by The Sports Business Journal, Kushner, 41, called one of the top executives at Paramount - the owner of CBS - to try and get the negotiations started.
Kushner worked for Trump's administration as a senior advisor at the White House. He does not directly work for LIV Golf.
According to the report written by John Ourand, the publication quotes a source saying about Kushner's alleged call: "[It was] one phone call. Totally informal. It lasted a very short amount of time to make an introduction."
Kushner is married to Trump's now 40-year-old daughter Ivanka. They have three children together.
Trump, 76, has previously heralded the LIV series. He has urged the PGA Tour players who were thinking about defecting to make the jump over to LIV.
In July, he wrote this on his social media platform Truth:
"All of those golfers that remain 'loyal' to the very disloyal PGA, in all of its different forms, will pay a big price when the inevitable MERGER with LIV comes, and you get nothing but a big 'thank you' from PGA officials who are making Millions of Dollars a year.
"If you don't take the money now, you will get nothing after the merger takes place, and only say how smart the original signees were."
LIV Golf have so far hosted three $25million tournaments of their inaugural eight-event global schedule. The most recent was held at the Trump-owned golf course in Bedminster, New Jersey.
One of the biggest hurdles - aside from world ranking points - is whether or not they will be able to get a TV deal.
Talks have reportedly not gone well so far.
One of the issues is the fact that major broadcasters NBC, CBS and ESPN have just started nine-year deals with the PGA Tour.
Fox appears to be the most likely destination to show LIV events given the fact that Greg Norman is reportedly close to Rupert Murdoch.
Last year, Kushner's private equity firm Affinity Partners, secured a $2billion investment from Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund.
It is the same source of money that has bankrolled LIV Golf and also plunged millions into the Asian Tour via the International Series.
PIF have also taken over Newcastle United in the Premier League.
Critics argue that this practice is known as sportswashing. They claim the Saudis are attempting to soften their image globally through sport.
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Ben joined the GolfMagic team in September 2021, initially as a content executive.
These days, he assumes the position of content manager.
