BC Partners boss reveals two LIV Golf ‘myths’ as ‘The LIV’ name raises eyebrows

BC Partners boss Ted Goldthorpe has hit back at two of the biggest criticisms levelled at LIV Golf, insisting the league has a much bigger audience than its detractors suggest.

Goldthorpe, co-founder and partner at BC Partners Credit, was speaking at Sportico's Invest London event on Tuesday after his firm committed an initial investment towards a proposed $300 million financing package for LIV 2.0. 

And he made it clear that BC Partners is "all in" on the league's future.

"We're very committed to it," Goldthorpe said.

The BC Partners chief then addressed what he described as two major "myths" surrounding LIV.

The first?

Nobody cares about it.

"Myth one, no one cares about the LIV," Goldthorpe said.

"And if you look at our tournaments in Adelaide or South Africa or some other places, we get over 100,000 fans."

He then turned his attention to the suggestion that LIV does not attract viewers.

"Number two, people don't watch it," Goldthorpe said.

"If you actually look at the statistics, people do watch it."

Goldthorpe believes LIV's controversial beginnings have helped create a negative narrative, which he claims has resulted in what he called "misreporting" about the breakaway league.

"And so I think there's a lot of, because of some of the history and antagonism, there's a lot of what I would call misreporting on what the LIV really is," he said.

"And the more you dig into it, the more I think there's a huge opportunity here."

Goldthorpe repeatedly calls it 'The LIV'

One particularly interesting detail from Goldthorpe's comments was his repeated use of "the LIV" when referring to the league.

That may simply be his preferred terminology, but it comes at an intriguing time.

LIV is currently undergoing a major restructuring ahead of its proposed 2027 relaunch, with BC Partners helping shape a new player-owned, team-focused model.

Whether that eventually comes with a change to the league's name remains unclear, but Goldthorpe's wording is certainly notable.

Watch his comments here: 

Goldthorpe was also bullish about the potential value of LIV's teams, claiming he could "easily see a path in very short order" to franchises being worth more than $100 million each.

That could become particularly significant if players are given the opportunity to take equity in their teams under LIV's proposed new structure.

BC Partners is now attempting to establish a sustainable financial future for the league, with Goldthorpe confident about its prospects.

His comments come amid uncertainty over several of LIV's biggest stars, including Jon Rahm, whose contract hearing has been delayed until November 5.

For now, though, Goldthorpe's message is clear: he believes LIV has an audience, has significant growth potential and is only getting started.

And, perhaps intriguingly, he seems increasingly happy to simply call it "The LIV."