The big-money flag football deal Tom Brady and Fanatics signed with Saudi Arabia is in jeopardy as the Gulf nation weighs up its spending on sports and entertainment amid the war in Iran.
It comes after the Saudi-backed rebel golf tour, LIV Golf, was thrown into chaos on Wednesday amid speculation over a potential collapse, leaving terrified golfers and staff desperately scrambling for information.
Multiple agents told The Daily Mail they were in the dark over whether the controversial four-year venture, which Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund has pumped almost $6billion into since 2022, was on the brink of being abandoned amid the ongoing war in the Middle East.
Fanatics and Saudi’s General Entertainment Authority penned a deal to hold the first-ever Flag Football Classic in Riyadh last month. But after the conflict in Iran broke out, it was moved to Los Angeles instead.
According to Front Office Sports, Saudi officials wanted to keep the event in Riyadh and stage it once tensions in the region had calmed down. Once it was moved to Los Angeles, the Saudis withdrew any further funding for the event.
It’s claimed Fanatics still plans to continue funding the staging the event in future without any Saudi funds.
Tom Brady’s money-spinning flag football deal with Saudi Arabia could be in jeopardy
The Flag Football Classic was moved from Riyadh to Los Angeles after war broke out in Iran
Brady and a host of NFL stars were humiliated by Team USA’s flag football roster at the event, throwing their chances of playing at the Olympics in 2028 into doubt.
The seven-time Super Bowl winner and the likes of Joe Burrow, Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley, Jayden Daniels, Davante Adams, Rob Gronkowski, Stefon Diggs and Von Miller were spread across two NFL teams and got blown away.
The existing Team USA stars won all three of their games against the NFL players comfortably in Los Angeles.
The speed, skill and knowledge of the flag football players proved to be a difference maker in the exhibition games as NFL stars couldn’t get a grasp on the rules or nuances of the different style of play.
‘I loved being out there in the flag game. I loved not getting hit,’ Brady said at the event. ‘I’ve got a lot of really fun things I’m involved in.
‘It’ll never get old throwing passes to incredible athletes. But I am happily retired.’
Asked who he thinks should represent Team USA in LA, Brady told reporters: ‘Whoever gives the team the best chance to win should be out there.’
LIV Golf executives were summoned to an emergency meeting in New York this week as fears continued to grow over the tour’s future.
The existing Team USA roster destroyed both NFL teams, winning all three of their games
It comes after Saudi-backed LIV Golf was thrown into chaos amid speculation over a collapse
But in an email sent to league staffers, CEO Scott O’Neil has stressed that staff plough on with their daily responsibilities.
‘I want to be crystal clear,’ he wrote. ‘Our season continues exactly as planned, uninterrupted and at full throttle.’
O’Neil added that LIV remain determined to ‘disrupt the status quo’ with the tour heading to Mexico City this week.
LIV Golf launched back in 2021 and sent shockwaves through the sport, positioning itself as a rival to the PGA Tour and DP World Tour.
The breakaway league attracted some of golf’s biggest names, including Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson, before leading European players such as Jon Rahm and Tyrell Hatton also joined.
Rumors over LIV’s future began to swirl this week when the Financial Times reported that Saudi’s PIF was close to cutting its backing.
PIF governor Yasir al-Rumayyan said Wednesday, according to The Financial Times, that ‘of course the war would add more pressure to reposition some priorities.’
