Abstract
ABSTRACT LIV Golf, a startup sports league financed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, has come under fire since its launch 3 years ago. Opponents argue that it constitutes ‘sportswashing’ (funding athletics to distract international audiences from problematic policy positions, especially regarding human rights). LIV’s ties to courses owned by Donald Trump have only added to the domestic and international scrutiny. What costs do such claims and connections impose on LIV’s present and future? An original survey experiment in which 497 American participants receive varying amounts of information on LIV reveals that learning about sportswashing accusations damages both LIV’s institutional reputation and position in the media and sporting marketplace. Those exposed to such claims found LIV to be significantly more problematic, more political, and more dangerous than those who read nothing about sportswashing. They were also significantly less likely to want media to report on LIV, want media to air LIV programming, and believe LIV had the right to even compete with the PGA Tour. Such findings constitute evidence of the challenges LIV must navigate and counter as it looks to take root and flourish. Ties to the former president, on the other hand, appear to have no negative impact.
Published Version
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