Global News Podcast – Saudis to Pull Out of LIV Golf

BBC World Service | April 30, 2026
Host: Ankar Desai (and team)

Episode Overview

This episode covers several major global news stories, but centers on Saudi Arabia’s decision to stop funding the LIV Golf Tour at the end of the season. The discussion explores the ramifications for professional golf, broader Saudi investment in global sports, and what this signals about the country’s ambitious Vision 2030 and changing approach to “sportswashing.” Other key topics include shifting US-Germany relations, a high-profile Gaza aid flotilla standoff, a Meta AI contract controversy in Kenya, evolving restrictions on Chinese drones, a genetic study on the Roman Empire, the OpenAI/Musk legal battle, and the reinvention of sports for younger audiences.

Saudis to Pull Out of LIV Golf

Background and Announcement

• [01:08-02:24] The episode opens with breaking news: Saudi Arabia will stop funding the LIV Golf Tour at the end of this season. Created five years ago as a breakaway from the PGA Tour, LIV Golf attracted numerous stars with lucrative contracts, aiming to revolutionize the sport.
  • Notable players: Jon Rahm, Phil Mickelson, Bryson DeChambeau.

Why LIV Failed to Deliver

• [03:08-03:39]
  • Ankar Desai: “The big problem as far as LIV is concerned is that it has failed to really cut through in a broadcast sense in terms of attracting a wider audience.”
  • While successful in South Africa and Australia with enthusiastic crowds, the league did not revolutionize how golf is consumed by home viewers.

Players Seeking a Return

• [03:31-03:52]
  • There are reports of player agents trying to negotiate a path back to established tours (PGA, DP World Tour) for their clients.

Why Are Saudis Backing Out?

• [03:57-05:18]
  • Sebastian Usher (Middle East Analyst):
    • "This hasn't been the big hit that the Saudis wanted it to be. And that's what the Saudis are after... recalibrating not just sports, but the image of Saudi Arabia."
    • The decision reflects a broader review of large-scale, expensive projects under Vision 2030, some of which (like sci-fi megaprojects The Line and the Cube) have been shelved.
    • "The investment that they hope to get for those projects wasn't coming in either."
    • "Critics call it sportswashing because of Saudi Arabia's human rights record, but from a Saudi perspective, it was trying to reorient the image of a country."

Impact of Middle East Instability

• [05:24-06:18]
  • Ongoing conflicts in the Middle East have disrupted high-profile events and complicated Saudi Arabia’s push for global tourism and investment.
  • Human rights concerns still affect the willingness of athletes and organizations to work with Saudi Arabia, despite some dissipation since the killing of Jamal Khashoggi.

US-Germany Tensions Over Iran

• [06:18-08:42]
  • President Trump is considering reducing troops in Germany, apparently in reaction to criticism from Chancellor Friedrich Metz over the US's approach to Iran.
  • Paul Moss (Global Affairs Reporter):
    • The historical context: American troop presence in Germany stems from WWII and the Cold War.
    • Trump's threat is a recurring tactic but still carries significance for NATO unity and Russian strategy.
    • Chancellor Metz responded by emphasizing the importance of a stable transatlantic partnership.

Gaza Aid Flotilla Intercepted

• [09:39-12:26]
  • More than 50 boats carrying aid to Gaza were intercepted by Israeli forces in international waters near Greece, close to Crete.
  • Yolande Nell (Jerusalem Correspondent):
    • The Israeli Foreign Ministry claims activists are “making their way peacefully to Israel.”
    • The flotilla’s organizers frame the interception as “piracy” and protest the legality of the action in international waters.
    • Precedent: Past flotillas have likewise been intercepted, sparking international law debates and criticism.

Meta’s Kenyan Content Moderation Controversy

• [12:26-15:40]
  • Meta’s contract with Kenyan firm Sama was canceled after workers revealed exposure to disturbing content captured by smart glasses.
  • Chris Vallance (Tech Reporter):
    • Workers reported reviewing footage of private moments, including sexual activity and bathroom use.
    • Meta maintains that review is standard industry practice (per terms of service), but contract termination will result in over 1,100 redundancies.
    • “I spoke to one person a while ago who said he felt doing this work he’d lost his humanity.” – Chris Vallance [15:15]
    • Raises broader issues about the mental health and safeguarding of content moderators and outsourced tech labor.

Elon Musk vs. OpenAI: Legal Battle

• [19:17-23:31]
  • Elon Musk is suing OpenAI and former friend Sam Altman, claiming that OpenAI abandoned its non-profit mission and deceived him.
  • Christina Criddle (Financial Times Tech Reporter):
    • Musk: “Yesterday his lawyer kind of likened it to having a museum with a gift shop where you wouldn't have a museum gift shop sell Picassos and pocket the profit.” [19:47]
    • Trial highlights Musk’s combative testimony; he refused to answer with simple “yes” or “no,” fearing questions were “designed to trick me.” [20:30]
    • If Musk wins, he wants OpenAI’s for-profit entity unwound and more than $130B in damages—money he claims he would donate to charity (OpenAI’s charitable arm).
    • Implications stressed for AI industry and American charity law precedents.

China’s Drone Crackdown

• [24:08-27:04]
  • New regulations restrict drone sales and require permits for flight in China, tightening state control.
  • Laura Bicker (China Correspondent):
    • Tourists hoping for social-media-perfect drone photos now face stricter ID registrations, special courses, and tracking software.
    • “It's very, very difficult... Once they put [restrictions] in place, it's very difficult to even go near the gray area.”
    • DJI, the world’s largest drone manufacturer, is especially impacted, with bans already enforced in Beijing.

Roman Empire: Gradual, Not Violent, Collapse

• [27:04-30:37]
  • A new genetic study reveals that the "barbarian invasion" of the Roman Empire was more about gradual integration than sudden mass migration.
  • Karl Harper (University of Oklahoma, Historian):
    • The Roman Empire’s “impermeable frontier” theory is refuted; migrations and integration were ongoing before the frontier’s collapse.
    • "The genetic studies just give us this amazing new insight—it's almost from the ground up.” [29:38]

The Reinvention of Sports for the Social Media Generation

• [31:07-34:20]
  • Sports organizations are creating shorter, more “shareable” game formats to appeal to younger, digitally native audiences.
  • Innovations: “One Point Slam” (tennis), “Baller League” football, influencer-led boxing and football, “3ice World Cup” in ice hockey.
  • Felix Stark (Baller League CEO):
    • “80% of our viewing is between 20 and 35.” [32:47]
  • Chris Beer (GWI):
    • “I wouldn’t say that this is getting new people into the sport, but serving an existing audience in a new way.” [33:07]
  • Peter Moore (ex-Liverpool FC/EA Sports/Microsoft):
    • “If they’re built for just clicks, they’ll fade and die. Traditional sports are multi-generational... These peripheral sports... need to have that substance and that longevity and that sustainability.” [33:43]

Notable Quotes

• “I spoke to one person a while ago who said he felt doing this work he'd lost his humanity.”
  – Chris Vallance, on content moderation in Kenya [15:15]

• “It hasn't delivered really on its stated aim of revolutionizing the game of golf and the way that it is consumed by people at home.”
  – Ian Carter (via Ankar Desai), on LIV Golf [03:29]

• “This hasn't been the big hit that the Saudis wanted it to be. And that's what the Saudis are after … recalibrating … the image of Saudi Arabia.”
  – Sebastian Usher [03:57]

• “If they're built for just clicks, they'll fade and die. Traditional sports are multi-generational … [These new formats] need to have that substance and that longevity and that sustainability.”
  – Peter Moore [33:43]

• “The genetic studies just give us this amazing new insight … you can see people who have different ancestry marrying [across the Roman frontier].”
  – Karl Harper [29:38]

Key Timestamps

• [01:08] Main headlines: LIV Golf, US-Germany tensions, Gaza flotilla, Meta Smart Glasses
• [03:08-05:18] Saudi withdrawal from LIV Golf: reasons and global context
• [06:18-09:39] US-German relations over Iran
• [09:39-12:26] Pro-Palestinian Gaza aid flotilla intercepted
• [12:26-15:40] Meta AI contract and labor rights in Kenya
• [19:17-23:31] Elon Musk v. OpenAI legal battle
• [24:08-27:04] China’s drone regulations
• [27:04-30:37] Roman Empire collapse re-examined
• [31:07-34:20] The trend of reinventing sports for new audiences

Tone and Style

The podcast maintains the BBC’s trademark neutral, authoritative tone while being accessible and analytical. Experts and correspondents frequently add personal observations, making complex global stories relatable and giving depth to the analysis.

For further information and daily global updates, visit BBC World Service: Global News Podcast.