LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neil Admits Profitability Is Still 5–10 Years Away
July 12, 2024, Cadiz, Cadiz, SPAIN: Phil Mickelson of Hyflyers team looks on during day one of the LIV Golf Andalucia at Golf Club Royal of Valderrama on July 12, 2024 in Cadiz, Spain. Cadiz SPAIN - ZUMAa181 20240712_zaa_a181_042 Copyright: xJoaquinxCorcherox
July 12, 2024, Cadiz, Cadiz, SPAIN: Phil Mickelson of Hyflyers team looks on during day one of the LIV Golf Andalucia at Golf Club Royal of Valderrama on July 12, 2024 in Cadiz, Spain. Cadiz SPAIN - ZUMAa181 20240712_zaa_a181_042 Copyright: xJoaquinxCorcherox
LIV Golf is still building its commercial model. But how long would it take to become a profitable venture?
Backed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, the league has entered its fifth season. “This is run like a business, with serious targets, KPIs ... and a ton of pressure,” Scott O’Neil stated in a conversation with Financial Times.
And the profitability? The timeframe was “less than 10 and greater than five” years.
O’Neil continued, “I don’t know any business worth its weight in salt that hasn’t had to invest in the early years to realize what’s coming down the road.”
Golf: LIV Golf Michigan Team Championship Aug 22, 2025 Detroit, Michigan, USA Fans pose for a photo among LIV signage during the quarterfinals of the LIV Golf Michigan Team Championship at The Cardinal at Saint John s Resort. Detroit The Cardinal at Saint John s Resort Michigan USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xAaronxDosterx 20250822_add_db4_002
Golf: LIV Golf Michigan Team Championship Aug 22, 2025 Detroit, Michigan, USA Fans pose for a photo among LIV signage during the quarterfinals of the LIV Golf Michigan Team Championship at The Cardinal at Saint John s Resort. Detroit The Cardinal at Saint John s Resort Michigan USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xAaronxDosterx 20250822_add_db4_002
Since the league’s induction in 2021, it received $5 billion in funding from the Saudi PIF. However, LIV Golf wasn’t free from losses. In 2024, the net losses went up to $461.8 million.
It was a steep rise from the $395 million loss in 2023, and $243 million was lost the year before. But Scott O’Neil has a plan to tackle that.
He confirmed that he planned to sell minority stakes in the 13 teams to generate a return on the investors’ capital.
LIV Golf Looks to Sell Team Stakes Worth $300M
The LIV Golf CEO claimed that formal conversations were underway with Citi, the company tasked with identifying potential stakeholders. And their target is to amass about a billion dollars. But as per reports, the group was targeting valuations of around $300 million for the stakes.
The captain of the Crushers GC, Bryson DeChambeau, backed this move, stating, “That’s the business model. It’s taken a few years, but we’re getting to a place now where we’ve generated a lot of revenue, and there’s some keen interest this year.”
Additionally, by the end of October 2025, Scott O’Neil claimed that the Saudi-backed league had amassed half a billion dollars in the previous 10 months in sponsorships.
O’Neil admitted, "So a lot of positive things are happening, but we're nowhere near where we'll be a year from now, two years from now, three years from now.”
LIV Golf continues to invest heavily as it builds a long-term commercial structure. But do you think the league can become profitable by 2036?
You can read more at Daily Club Golf!
Written by
Krushna Pattnaik
Edited by
Oajaswini Prabhu