While LIV Golf have paid some of the world's biggest players to figurehead their Saudi-backed series they are yet to tempt broadcasters into covering events live.
The series has seen stars Brooks Koepka, Patrick Reed, Dustin Johnson and Open champion Cameron Smith accept PGA suspension in pursuit of millions promised in the LIV Golf series. However, after failing to attract a broadcaster for their first year LIV Golf were forced to stream events online.
If they can attract a broadcast deal for next year they will be looking to attract a star pundit and Roger Maltbie could be on their list after recently being ditched by NBC after over 30 years.
However, the 71-year-old fears a previous spat with LIV Golf chief Greg Norman might rule him out.
"I guess at this age, at 71, you never say never, but that would shock me beyond belief," Maltbie told the SiriusXM PGA Tour Radio show. "Greg Norman and I had sort of a spat you might call it years back, and I doubt that I would get a call from LIV, let’s put it that way.
"This LIV thing, it’s kind of crazy. There’s so much hypocrisy involved in it. I don’t begrudge any player that accepted that money or decided to do that. That’s still a decision that is 1,000 per cent their right. I don’t like the idea that they think they could do that and play the PGA Tour. I don’t follow that, but I’m not upset with it."
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Despite his previous run-in with Norman the veteran pundit has left the door open to a LIV Golf switch and says that people against the series should look at what companies have done deals with the money men in Saudi Arabia.
He added: "There are people that have this moral outrage about accepting money from the Saudi Investment Fund and it’s like, really? All the business that our government does with Saudi Arabia, and the largest corporations in America, so many of them do some business with the Saudis.
"Why all of a sudden are golfers the moral compass of the world? I don’t understand that. So I have no problem with those guys taking that money."
Golfweek reported in September that the rebel series were prepared to pay Fox Sports 1 to air their tournaments and recoup costs by selling their own commercial sponsorships. In response a representative for LIV Golf told the Guardian that their report was “incomplete and inaccurate”.
However, the representative added that talks over a broadcast deal were progressing. They added: “LIV Golf has exceeded expectations and remains ahead of schedule across numerous fronts, including broadcast rights.
“As we have stated previously, LIV Golf is just beginning its process and is in active discussions with several companies about broadcasting the LIV Golf League. We caution that no one should draw any conclusions about potential media rights given that we are still in the middle of negotiations with several outlets.”
