Night Owl's Rejoice: Golf Channel Inks 10-Year Asian Tour Deal

From The Asian Tour, announcing a 10-year deal with Golf Channel locking up North American broadcast rights.

From the press release put out by The Asian Tour:

The Asian Tour will be shown on Golf Channel, including Golf Live Extra, the network’s authenticated streaming service, and other potential NBC Sports platforms. Additionally, the Asian Tour will also be featured on Golf Channel’s news programming, including Morning Drive and Golf Central, as well as GolfChannel.com.

Kyi Hla Han, Chairman of the Asian Tour, said: “We are extremely delighted to extend our partnership with Golf Channel for the next 10 years, which means the Asian Tour will continue to be shown to nearly 90 million homes in North America.

“Our long-term partnership with Golf Channel is another wonderful endorsement of the value and appeal of the Asian Tour, which is represented by the finest players from across the region and tournaments of the highest calibre.”

“The Asian Tour stars continue to establish themselves with wonderful performances both at home and abroad and I am sure golf fans in North America will continue to enjoy watching the best players from Asia perform in world-class tournaments.”

Tom Knapp, Senior Vice President of Programming for Golf Channel, said, “As golf continues to grow internationally, quality professional tournaments are being held around the globe and throughout the year. Our expanded partnership with the Asian Tour provides our viewers increased access to these compelling tournaments.”

The Thailand Golf Championships from Amata Spring Country Club in Chonburi, Thailand airs this week on Golf Channel from 11:30 p.m. – 4:30 a.m. starting Wednesday, Dec 11.

This new agreement was managed by Asian Tour Media, a joint venture company between the Asian Tour and IMG. Presently, the Asian Tour’s television broadcasts are available to over 180 countries/territories and 650 million homes, ensuring a truly global platform for the region’s premier Tour.