Golf Rival to add LIV Golf-branded content

Zynga partners up with Saudi-funded organization

Zynga

Zynga, the mobile game publisher owned by Take-Two Interactive, has entered a partnership with Saudi-owned organization LIV Golf to bring branded content to Golf Rival, its successful iOS and Android title.

Time-limited tournaments with LIV Golf branding will run in the game from June 8 to 16 as well as July 20 to 28, 2024. Special golf balls with the organization’s branding will be available to assist in these competitions.

LIV Golf has been founded as a rival organization to the PGA Tour as part of Saudi Arabia’s effort in diversifying its economy – though the move has been criticized as a sportswashing attempt as well. While LIV Golf has been able to tempt some professionals into its ecosystem, PGA Tour is still clearly dominant in the video game space with big titles such as EA Sports PGA Tour.

LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman hailed the partnership with Zynga as “an exciting step forward into the incredibly popular and fast-growing gaming space.”

“As we continue to build for the future,” he added, “our league is uniquely positioned through the

development of team brands, player IP and exciting new technologies to engage with mobile interactive entertainment – and we’re just getting started.”

“Like Golf Rival, LIV Golf delivers its competition in fun, innovative ways that are connecting with young, diverse audiences,” commented Branko Milutinović, the head of Zynga’s Nordeus studio. “We are very excited to partner with LIV Golf on their first foray into mobile games and help grow golf through digital gameplay worldwide!”

Golf Rival is a free-to-play game available on iOS and Android devices. It’s listed as having been downloaded more than ten million times on Google Play Store, where over half a million users rated it with 3.9 out of 5 stars.