The ongoing legal battle between LIV Golf and the Tour over the deposition terms of a PGA Tour executive has resulted in some new allegations.
Late Wednesday night, documents were submitted to U.S. Federal Court. They include a LIV Golf accusation of the PGA Tour interfering in its dealings regarding potential broadcast networks.
“Based on (PGA Tour documents) and other sources, LIV believes that Mr. Pascal used illegal methods to dissuade many broadcasters in international market from signing broadcast agreements with LIV, and even from reporting about LIV event in their news content,” LIV lawyers claim. They are referring to Thierry Pascal who is the PGA Tour’s managing Director for international media.
Continue reading the filing: “Time after time, following the live meeting or telephone call, the broadcaster made a U-turn and informed LIV that negotiations (in one instance, a signed agreement) couldn’t proceed. His conduct and his attempts to hide it made Mr. Pascal a foundational witness. His testimony will help later discovery in important ways.
Greg Norman’s lawyers, backed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, did not mention that LIV had signed a contract, but they did say that LIV was forced to “sign with a secondary network” because of Tour’s actions. This refers to the CW Network which signed a multiyear revenue-sharing TV agreement with LIV last January. Golfweek reported that LIV was close to a deal last September.
U.S. District Judge Beth Labson Freeman directed that “the deposition by Thierry Pascal will be taken, in person, no later then April 14, 2023.”
