EP108⛳️ Guest: LIV Production Boss James Watson: 'LIV is a Start-up. We're in Audience Capture Mode'

Our Guest today on Talk Birdie To Me is James Watson, Senior Vice President of Production at LIV Golf, so a big gig! James tells us some of the figures from LIV Adelaide, they are impressive. He talks about how they had a very short timeframe to get the first London event up, and it was only in Adelaide that he felt 'LIV had arrived'. We find out about James career, and how it led him to his current role with LIV, via Cricket Australia, Asian Tour Golf, and Tennis Australia. James talks about the graphics on screen during golf, and why he believes they are so important. He goes on to talk about what he calls the 'second screen experience' and the importance of this for fans.Nick asks James about the drone tracer, and James explains how they developed this innovation at LIV. Mark asks if James is happy with the LIV Adelaide product, and if they have more in the tank. He says that it is the best era for participation in 30-years, however that is not yet translating to viewership. James tells us what it's like being in the LIV Production truck with 60 cameras to direct, he talks about the importance of having a tight team and great communication lines. James talks about how they use fan data to drive decisions on how they execute the coverage, and gives examples. He talks about the inspiration that LIV has taken from Formula One and The Australian Open tennis.Mark asks about whether James has exposure the big boss Yasir, and how much exposure he has had to The Shark over the journey. He tells us what The Shark is like to work with. We ask James about whether there is a feeling that LIV and the PGA getting back together is imminent.A fascinating chat with an Aussie who has a massive gig on a world scale.We're live at Titleist and FootJoy HQ, we're here thanks to our great partners:The watchMynumbers app, play smarter and use your data. Download from the App Store or Google Play;PING will help you play your best. See your local golf shop or professional for a PING club fitting;Golf Clearance Outlet, visit them online here to find your nearest store, they're all over the country;Betr, the fastest and easiest betting app in Australia.Southern Golf Club - now with their brand new Simulator Room including Trackman.And of course Titleist and FootJoy!Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok, send a voicemail here, and see us on YouTube here.We're live from Titleist and FootJoy HQ thanks to our great partners:Hostplus, Talk Birdie To Me's official retirement partnerBMW, luxury and comfort for the 19th hole;Titleist, the #1 ball in golf;FootJoy, the #1 shoe and glove in golf;Golf Clearance Outlet, they beat everyone's prices;Betr, the fastest and easiest betting app in Australia;The Find My Player app - follow every player on every tour;And Southern Golf Club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.