LIV Golf announced a content creation partnership with Rick Shiels, one of YouTube’s most prominent golf personalities, signaling a shift in professional golf’s approach to audience engagement amid declining television viewership.

The deal, first reported by Flushing It, positions Shiels to create content alongside LIV Golf professionals like Bryson DeChambeau. While details about potential tournament participation remain unconfirmed, Golficity suggests the possibility of a dedicated Creator Team featuring four YouTube golf personalities.

This development coincides with broader changes across professional golf. The PGA TOUR launched its Creator Council in late 2024, demonstrating the sport’s increasing focus on digital content creation. 

PGA TOUR player Justin Thomas addressed this in a recent letter to fellow players, encouraging them to embrace mid-round interviews and provide regular updates about equipment and technique changes.

Industry Responds to Viewership Trends

Golficity notes the timing of these initiatives follows a notable decline in professional golf tour ratings, occurring despite the sport’s overall growth since 2020’s pandemic-driven surge in participation. Both major tours are actively pursuing new engagement strategies to counter this viewership trend.

The sport’s governing bodies are now prioritizing entertainment-focused content to attract broader audiences, with LIV Golf’s influencer partnership representing the latest example of this strategic pivot.

In late 2024, Volvik USA, Inc., a golf ball manufacturer, announced a collaboration with social media influencer Ryan Rustand, known as Coach Rusty, to raise awareness and funds for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.