For the past two weeks, Rick Shiels had harassed an important announcement.
Most followers of the Creator of Content on YouTube were not exactly excited with the extended process. The most liked comment in Second exciting video posted on x It was, “Imagine you think you are so big that you should drag a 3 -week notice.”
Given the latest news for YouTube players who warn their new ownership shares in special equipment companies, many assumed that Shiels was building something ordinary.
It turns out that this is not the case.
Shiels became the first full -time YouTube Golf player to sign with Liv. He will create content with liv players including Youtube star, Bryson Dechambeau.
“This is not me playing in Liv Golf events,” Shiels said. “I will make some incredible content in any single Liv Golf event.”
Shiels explained that we can expect several different forms of content on YouTube, which will live on its channel. His “Breaking 75” series will take place in every Liv country; There will be a “10-Shot challenge” on any tour; Shiels will participate in five -player clashes with liv teams; There will be 2 against 2 matches between the LIV players; He will be part of the teaching sessions with LIV professionals; And Shiels is also waiting for a series of podcast with liv players.
The first video, which has already been filmed, will include Jon Rahm and Brooks Koepka.
It is the first big investment Liv is making in the YouTube golf space.
What do you mean?
This movement makes sense to everyone involved
While it is an attractive movement for Liv to sign with Shiels, there are no real surprises here.
Shiels started on YouTube more than 12 years ago. He was one of the first to earn a significant profit and would eclipse three million subscribers, a sign that goes to everyone else in the Golf category. His videos have been seen nearly a billion times.
However, Shiels does not have the same “market part” it had, given the dramatic increase in competition.
Of his 25 most popular videos in channel history, none of them appeared in the last 18 months. Visibility on his channel has fallen slightly– At a time when more people are flocking to YouTube for their golf entertainment.
Don’t misunderstand me, Shiels is still an important character on youtube But I wouldn’t put it in the 10-15 best channels. His act has just stayed in recent years after younger and more exciting personalities have emerged.
Signing with LIV is financial security and a renaming for its channel, though some fans will be turned off from this action.
Another reason this is not surprising: Shiels is related to the Saudis. Performance54 – a marketing and PR firm owned by Saudi and working with Liv/Golf Saudi – is also owner in Shiels. You can dig much deeper into this With John Barba’s investigative article he published in September 2022.
Last month, Shiels released a podcast saying there would be fewer episodes and fewer YouTube videos that would be published on his channel in the coming weeks. He had produced less content during the last two months in 2024.
“That’s because we have some scandalous, incredible, dizzying plans for 2025,” Shiels said at the time. “And that’s not an exaggeration.”
When Shiels images circulating in front of the same backdrop about promotional videos as other Liv golf players, it became clear what this news would be.
As for the LIV, following the path of content creation is an easy decision they should have made years ago.
Liv’s ratings are terrible After the traditional golf on TV has been declining. Both Liv and PGA Tour are now trying to invest more in YouTube Golf.
By the side of the tour we have seen Creator Classic is taking place in a series of three events for 2025. They also created a creative council to establish more official links with youtubers and other influencers in the game.
Maybe the only way forward of Liv to win real attraction is to sign with youtubers and create video with its players. Had it been involved in that concept from the beginning, we could have a completely different conversation.
Shiels is a strong name to be abducted and I’m sure there will be more signatures from YouTube in the future.
The Pro Golf World is changing dramatically
Golf as a fun product on TV continues to suffer.
The tournament is being bombed in early 2025. The last round visibility for The American Express last week was 56 percent declining, which is in line with some of the landings we saw in Hawaii.
As the children would say, there is “negative infinity” noise for the Tour golf now.
We have Justin Thomas writing a letter to his players’ friends begging them to consider more interviews on the course.
This is great and everything … But Tour’s television product is cruel for other reasons. A study done this weekend concluded that only 1.2 golf shots appear in a minute on a Tour television broadcast. More than 40 percent of the shocks displayed are shooting. And fans flood with ads along the way.
Why will we look at it?
TGL, the Tour -backed Simulators League, has some good things for it, but it seems to be more of a “background noise” show. After two weeks of good ratings, reaching its peak at 1.05 million, the visibility for the third match reached 682,000. The average age of viewer is only 51 years old, much younger than the traditional tournament of the tournament. I think it’s good for Tuesday evening in winter But the innovation is running out– It doesn’t seem to be something that approaches the change of the game at this point.
Liv has a new TV deal with Fox Sports that can be useful. The league has a long uphill climb given the fact that last year’s championship could not even have 100,000 viewers.
There is a lot of apathy across the board. I don’t see golf as much as once.
Golf entertainment is getting more decentralized as fans can see a better product on demand. Watch this video of Tiger gives Grant Horvat a lesson and tell me it is not ORDER More fun than seeing sepp Straka to win The American Express. It’s not even close.
What happens next?
In a form or way, you will see much more YouTuber appearing in Tour and Liv.
It is a matter of survival. Without them, the traditional golf cover can disappear in forgetfulness.
Main photo title: Rick Shiels hugs Liv Sergio Garcia player. (Getty Images/David Cannon)
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