LIV Golf has been going through quite a rough patch of late. Brooks Koepka caused ripples with his decision to exit the league and things have looked quite tumultuous ever since. Unfortunately for the Saudi-backed league, there is now another major setback for them to deal with. As it turns out, James Watson, who had been an integral part of the LIV Golf until now, has exited the league, leaving everyone in a state of shock.

“After four unforgettable years, l’ve made the decision to move on from my role at LIV Golf. What began as an ambitious idea in December 2021 became an opportunity to help build something genuinely new. Together, an extraordinary group of people created a broadcast operation that challenged convention – rethinking storytelling, production workflows, and how fans experience the game… I’m deeply grateful to the staff, crews, vendors, partners, and leadership who helped build something from scratch,” said Watson. 

Watson had been associated with the league since its inception. Courtesy of his incredible production skills, the Watson-led team earned a lot of praise. Notably, the former production lead of LIV Golf introduced the unique concept of drone tracing in golf broadcasts. This technology, which was introduced in October 2023, soon became popular and is now a common practice across the sport. 

Interestingly, the departure of Watson does not come as an abrupt decision. In recent news, it was revealed that EverWonder Studio will be overseeing the LIV’s production from now on. And as a result, Watson’s boss, Keith Hirshland, also announced his exit from the Saudi-backed league’s production team.

Notably, while LIV Golf is embracing significant changes for 2026, many fans seem dissatisfied with the league’s new broadcasting format.

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Fans criticize latest broadcasting format of LIV Golf following James Watson’s departure

Fans already knew that there would be a lot of changes to LIV Golf’s format starting this season. Notably, the league will be switching to a more traditional 72-hole format in a bid to get the coveted OWGR points. However, what the fans did not know was that there would be a rapid change in the broadcasting format, too. 

Till now, the LIV Golf has been famous for its pylon. For those who don’t know, the pylon refers to the on-screen graphics that consist of the leaderboard and various other data for the viewers. Thanks to it, the viewers got a much more immersive experience. However, the pylon has seemingly been discarded.

Additionally, Watson’s team had incorporated state-of-the-art technology, including real-time shot access, immersive audio, live drone AR, along with innovative graphics, curated carefully with interesting data. Unfortunately, come the LIV Golf Promotions 2026, fans were gutted to find out that all of that had been replaced. As such, they quickly took to the internet to express their frustrations. As it stands, there is a lot for the LIV administrators to deal with.