LIV Golf has signed the sport’s leading YouTuber, Rick Shiels, ahead of the 2025 season opener in Riyadh next month, in a major move for the Saudi-funded breakaway series
LIV Golf has revealed a partnership with top golf YouTuber, Rick Shiels, ahead of the 2025 season opener in Riyadh next month.
With nearly three million subscribers, Shiels has emerged as the biggest name in YouTube’s golf community and is the platform’s most-subscribed content creator. The 38-year-old PGA professional from North West England initially shared tip videos on his channel, which has since evolved into a hub hosting some of the sport’s biggest names.
The agreement will see Shiels continue to produce his regular content; ‘Break 75′, ’10 shot challenge’, ‘5 man scramble’ and ‘2 vs 2 matches’ alongside LIV players at every LIV event this season. Additionally, LIV will launch a new initiative with Shiels aimed at getting children aged 3-5 into golf, investing $50,000 annually into the project.
Shiels has previously collaborated with golf stars like Rickie Fowler, Tommy Fleetwood, Ian Poulter, and Bryson DeChambeau, who has also gained YouTube fame with his own channel. Now, thanks to Friday’s announcement, the YouTuber will have unprecedented opportunities to work with the LIV setup and its players, serving as an ambassador for the league in his new role.
LIV Golf’s Chief Marketing Officer Adam Harter has thrown his weight behind a fresh initiative to captivate the golfing world. Talking about their newest venture into the online arena, Harter said: “Rick’s creativity and passion for the game align perfectly with our mission to grow the sport and connect with a broader audience. Through this collaboration, Rick will give fans an inside look at the incredible courses we play around the globe, bring them closer to our players, and offer a unique perspective on what makes team golf so fun and compelling.”
He continued to outline the partnership’s aim to bring supporters even nearer to the action: “Together, we’re opening new doors for fans and bringing them closer to the sport than ever before.”
The move seems timely as LIV Golf follows in the footsteps of their counterparts at the PGA Tour, which has similarly ventured into the YouTube sphere throughout 2024. Last April, the PGA Tour ran a qualifying event for some of YouTube’s elite golfers, providing the chance to compete at the Myrtle Beach Classic. Come August, they put on the Creator Classic right before the season-closing Tour Championship.
The PGA Tour isn’t stopping there, keen to forge a lasting bond with the booming YouTube and influencer scene; it has launched the Creator Council. This collective, including notable names like Paige Spiranac, Bob Does Sports, Bryan Bros Golf, Erik Anders Lang, Fore Play/Barstool Sports, No Laying Up, Roger Steele, and Tisha Alyn, is envisioned to mend the divide between top-flight golfing and the burgeoning popularity of YouTube content — with the council expected to see shifts in its lineup in the foreseeable future.
In a chat with Mirror Sports last year, former pro golfer and current YouTube sensation Peter Finch suggested there might be a link between the PGA Tour’s tiff with LIV Golf and a surge in YouTube golf viewership. “It could be a complete coincidence, or that could be a sign that people are tuning out of professional golf and watching more online content,” he observed.
Finch also touched on the weakening bond between players and fans, attributing it to the LIV Golf series luring top talent away from traditional tours. “I think the connection between the players and the fans has eroded a little bit. The way LIV has taken a lot of the best players to their tour – you are a lot less likely to tune in if your favorite player isn’t in contention. And that has a knock-on effect.”