2016 Kapalua Overnights: Best In A Decade

Certainly it's nice to see that all of the young-gun hype and interest in Jordan Spieth's potentially historic trajectory is attracting viewers, though I'd contend it's even nicer to see Hyundai finally get improved ratings after a so-so run that likely ended after the 2016 Tournament of Champions. (However, the rumor mill suggests they are primed to be continuing on in a different PGA Tour event.)

Saturday's rating is probably the most impressive given the competition from an exciting NFL game.

From Golf Channel PR:

Golf Channel’s coverage of the PGA TOUR’s Hyundai Tournament of Champions posted Best Overnight Ratings in a Decade:

· Final Round Overnight Rating of .70 is Golf Channel’s “Highest Overnight Rating Ever” at the Hyundai Tournament of Champions. This more than doubled the Overnight Rating for 2015 of .34 (+106% vs. 2015)

· Golf Channel’s Final Round Overnight Rating (.70) was +35% from the overnight for any previous telecast of this event on Golf Channel (2007-16) and +52% from any prior Final Round at this event on Golf Channel (2007-16)

· World No. 1 Jordan Spieth’s 8-shot victory had significant television competition, including coverage posting a .60 Overnight Rating (6-8 p.m. ET) vs. Sunday’s late NFC Wildcard Game and posting a .81 Overnight Rating (8-10 p.m. ET) opposite the Golden Globes. Coverage peaked from 9:30-10 p.m. ET at .87.
 
For previous rounds, the Hyundai Tournament of Champions kicked off the New Year by posting “Highest Overnight Rating Ever” on Golf Channel (2007-2016):

· Thursday night’s First Round coverage posted a .33 Overnight Rating (+27% vs. 2015) from 6-10 p.m. ET.

· Friday night’s Second Round coverage posted a .40 Overnight Rating (+25% vs. 2015) from 6-10 p.m. ET, peaking at a .49 Overnight Rating from 8-8:30 p.m. ET.

· Saturday’s combined coverage on NBC and Golf Channel posted a Round 3 Overnight Rating of .74 Metered Market Rating (NBC 4-6 p.m. ET: .95; Golf Channel 6-8 p.m. ET: .52) and is “Highest Overnight Rating” for any 1st, 2nd or 3rd round at the Hyundai Tournament of Champions, matching ESPN’s coverage of the 2nd Round in 2006 (.74).

· NBC’s coverage of Round 3 (.95 Metered Market Overnight – 4-6 p.m. ET) is the “Highest Overnight Rating” for any telecast from this event in the last 10 years (2007-16). Coverage peaked at a 1.10 from 5:30-6 p.m. ET

· Golf Channel’s coverage of Round 3 (.52 Overnight Rating – 6-8 p.m. ET) is the “Highest Overnight Rating for Round 3” on Golf Channel (2007-16) and the best 3rd Round at this event on cable since ESPN’s coverage in 2005. Going into Sunday, this was also the “Highest Overnight Rating Ever for Any Round” of this event on Golf Channel (2007-16). Golf Channel’s coverage peaked at a .63 from 7:30-8 p.m. ET.

Golf Channel Matches Highest Rated Year After Slow Start

But who cares about that...millennials are watching! Well, 50% more than the previous year, no doubt thanks to a wave of millennials vying for majors.

The full release here. Some highlights for my copy and paste archiving purposes. The most notable number may be the finish to the year after a slow start:

ADDITIONAL 2015 GOLF CHANNEL VIEWERSHIP HIGHLIGHTS:
    •    Strong Finish to 2015 after Young Stars Energize (24-hour Total Day 6AM-6AM):
    ◦    First Quarter                 -14% YOY
    ◦    Second Quarter            +3% YOY – Tied Most-Watched Second Quarter Ever
    ◦    Third Quarter               +8% YOY – Most-Watched Third Quarter Ever
    ◦    Fourth Quarter             +13% YOY

Now to the only people who seemingly matter...

    ◦    “Millennial” Growth on Golf Channel (Average Viewers P25-34):
    ▪    +50% in Total Day with Persons 25-34
    ▪    +17% in Primetime with Persons 25-34
    ▪    +22% for PGA TOUR coverage with Persons 25-34

Now to the only people who actually pay the bills:

    ▪    Most-Affluent Audience in All of Television:
    ▪    Total Day: No. 1 most-affluent ad-supported television network for median household income ($77.1k) for the second consecutive year
    ▪    Primetime: No. 1 most-affluent ad-supported television network for median household income ($83.6k) for the second consecutive year

Peter Kostis' Next Post-Round Interviews With Zach Johnson And Billy Horschel Should Be Pleasurably Awkward

Peter Kostis, CBS on-course reporter, sometimes acknowledged member of Team Titleist who says the golf ball should not be blamed for distance increases, and Twitter motto-holder "Be positive, be happy," sounds really annoyed by players jumping ship to Parsons Extreme Golf.

He's even conducting a poll to confirm the sheer awfulness of the free-market at work.

Obligatory press release "these clubs r the best I've ever used".How many would be changing if $ wasn't involved?

— Peter Kostis (@peterjkostis) January 4, 2016

The news broke Monday included these press release quotes from Zach Johnson and Billy Horschel: 

“The decision to put PXG clubs in play was not one I took lightly,” said British Open and Masters champion Zach Johnson. “My entire team, from caddie to coach, was part of the discernment process. We all agree that PXG is undeniably the best equipment to help me achieve my goals on the course.”

“Being part of PXG is like being part of a very special movement in golf,” champion golfer Billy Horschel added. “What the company has accomplished in its first generation of equipment is mind-blowing. I’ve been playing some really incredible golf with PXG clubs and I feel very confident that great things are to come.”

Now, he could be also referring to new Nike man Brooks Koepka, but based on his quotes reported by Rex Hoggard or in this Nike roundup from Kyle Porter, it would appear Kostis is especially upset with Johnson and Horschel. Can't wait for those post-round interviews with two players are generally most forthright in their assessments.

A Less Rosy View Of Back9's Reorganization Attempt

Katy Stecha at the Wall Street Journal has gone through the court papers and paints a less flattering image of Back9's possible reinvention as an online website and app.

Most eye-opening is who and how much the failed network owed money to.

The five existing investors behind the $2 million offer are retired United Technologies Corp UTX +1.16%. executive Karl Krapek, private equity managing partner Denis Nayden, wood exporter Ted Rossi, KKR KKR -1.77% investment firm portfolio manager Paul Raether and Brian Furbish.

Under the purchase plan, the investors will continue to repay roughly $4.75 million in low-interest loans extended through Connecticut’s media tax credit program. The state’s decision to invest in the golf channel gave critics of Democratic Gov. Dan Malloy something to grumble about. As the Connecticut Post pointed out, Mr. Malloy’s chief of staff is married to a Back9Network employee. The network also employed former Democratic state Sen. Sanford Cloud Jr., his close ally.

The channel’s collapse stung an impressive list of more than 200 investors, including tech entrepreneurs, Wall Street executives, doctors and golf industry players. People who own small slices of the channel include New Jersey Devils part owner David Blitzer and UConn women’s basketball coach Geno Auriemma.

Here is the full list of those owed money by the failed network.

Back9 Network Planning Online Return, Expansion

Stephen Singer reports for the Hartford Courant on efforts by the failed television network Back9 to continue on as a website, app and email property, according to bankruptcy filings and confirned by CEO Charles Cox.

Singer writes:

Cox and co-founder Reid Gorman tapped $2 million from a group of investors, including Karl Krapek, former president and chief operating officer of United Technologies Corp., and Denis Nayden, managing partner of Oak Hill Capital Partners and former chairman and chief executive officer of GE Capital, the one-time financing unit of General Electric Co. They did not return calls seeking information on their roles in the return of Back9Network.

Back9Network executives acknowledged in the filing in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Hartford their failure to launch a profitable television network. They're now forming a "compelling online platform" of websites, a golf app and an email newsletter with 1.7 million subscribers, they said.

Anyone use the app cited by the network as key to its growth?

Fox Age Discrimination Lawsuit Cites Hiring Of Holly Sonders

Sports reporter Colleen Dominguez is suing Fox Sports over age discrimination and the sometimes-golf, sometimes-NFL reporter citing 28-year-old Holly Sonders as evidence of the network putting someone with less experience ahead of her. Dominguez's issues with Sonders relate to football telecasts, not golf.

Sean Zak at golf.com with the details.

In the lawsuit Dominguez alleges that "[Sonders] has no experience with the NFL, yet FOX has assigned Sonders to cover the 2015 NFL season. Dominguez is not receiving any NFL assignments although she has substantial experience covering the NFL."

When reached by GOLF.com, Sonders declined to comment about the lawsuit.

2015 In Golf Television

Golfweek's Martin Kaufmann lists his ten biggest stories of golf on television for 2015, with David Feherty's move to NBC/Golf Channel finishing second to Fox's "uneven" debut.

He sees Fox's innovation pushing the other networks. However I've yet to see CBS or NBC putting a mic in a cup or employing some of the architecture-friendly camera angles and animated flyovers that stood out. I sense Kaufmann is still trying to convince himself that his predictions of Fox innovation spreading like wildfire will come true.

The newcomer's Open effort was uneven, and certainly hindered by the USGA's regrettable decision to hold the event at Chambers Bay. Fox has big issues to address on its announcing crew in 2016. But it is pushing innovative technology, forcing CBS and NBC to follow suit, and it already is doing a better job than competitors at capturing on-course audio. In the long run, the new competition will make the industry, and the consumer experience, better.

Mark Rolfing Will Be Back

Great news from NBC/Golf Channel reporting that longtime course reporter and all-things-Hawaii has recovered from his cancer battle to return for next month's Hyundai Tournament of Champions at Kapalua.

"Debi and I would like to thank everyone for their overwhelming support during these past several months, including our Golf Channel and NBC Sports family, friends in the media, players and fans," Rolfing said. "The medical staffs at the University of Houston and MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston have been amazing. I'm excited to rejoin my colleagues in January in welcoming the PGA Tour back to Hawaii."

David Feherty's Rolling Stone Interview...

Wow.

"I've never been sure about the whole drug-testing aspect of the Olympics," says David Feherty, 57, a former European Tour player from Northern Ireland whose training regimen once included weed, cocaine and a daily dose of 40 Vicodin and two and a half bottles of whiskey. "If they come up with a drug that helps you play golf better, I am going to be so pissed – I looked for that for years."

Faldo, Nantz & Buck Prevail In Golf Digest TV Survey!

I'm not entirely sure what to make of the results given that Joe Buck and Greg Norman were runaway winners in their respective divisions for least liked while Fox didn't register on the least favorite network voting (TNT excelled despite doing only one event a year and mostly with CBS production values, so go figure). This may come as a blow to Norman, who continues to suggest folks were paid to Tweet negative comments about Fox's U.S. Open coverage.

Alex Myers sums up the results and makes some comparisons to the last survey, where it was all about Tiger Woods. This time around Nick Faldo and Jim Nantz cruised to victories, while there was little dislike for CBS and Golf Channel, but a real hatred for TNT. And Joe and Greg.

In fact, Buck and Norman were named least favorite in their respective categories, with Buck widely criticized for a perceived lack of golf knowledge and Norman getting knocked for a surplus of arrogance. It wasn't quite a Brent Musburger level of disdain—the former ABC golf announcer received 43 percent of our worst-host vote in 1996—but 39 percent named Buck their least favorite, and a quarter of those polled gave the Shark a biting review.

There was good news for Fox...they weren't included in the best/worst network balloting!

Forward Press: No Shortage Of Spieth & An Apology To Readers!

This week's Forward Press previews the unofficial Jordan Spieth week, as the 22-year-old Texan shows up Down Under all week and on Fox Thankgiving day.

That, plus news of a Australian Masters replay and my deepest apology for a huge oversight last week. Huge! I hope I can win back your trust.

Reminder: Day 2 Of Bones And Woody From St. Simons Island!

As mentioned this week in the Forward Press, this was an opportunity for fresh voices. And a new energy they brought!

Jim "Bones" MacKay and John "Woody" Wood immediately delivered a different vibe than the usual former golfer-turned on-course reporter. Day two starts at 1 pm ET on Golf Channel as the two loopers hit the course for RSM third round coverage.

Bones and Woody assessed day one with Steve Sands.

There was also a fun bit set up in advance where Bones told a story from the 1993 Ryder Cup involving Davis Love.

Oh No: Big Break Is President Obama's Guilty-Pleasure Show

I'm not sure what's of more concern: that President Obama tells Bill Simmons that watching the occasional chip-off from The Big Break is his treadmill guilty pleasure viewing, or that some poor aid is going to have to break the news that the show is on a hiatus of the permanent variety.

From the Simmons GQ interview hitting newstands.

Probably the guiltiest pleasure—and this is kind of lame—is Big Break. You know, on the Golf Channel? Which is kind of a silly show. [laughs] But I find it really relaxing.

So you watch it on the treadmill or something?
Yeah, when I’m working out sometimes late at night. I never see all the episodes, but if they’ve got some chipping contest or something… [laughs] It’s pretty lame. I do love Game of Thrones.

Forward Press: The Squeeze, Mexico & Water Week

In the latest installment of the Forward Press, I marvel at and preview The Squeeze, supplanting Tin Cup on the Golf Channel schedule this week.

It's noteworthy that Golf Channel is the first landing spot for a theatrical release and that Tin Cup gets a break, even though a nice sized audience watches every time it airs (or a Nielsen family just really likes Ron Shelton's work).

On a serious note, Morning Drive is tackling the totally unsexy but utterly vital topic of water and golf. As I note in the Forward Press, Matt Ginella's visit to Goat Hill on Friday is what I'm most anticipating, but there are some really solid, meaty topics on tap for Tuesday through Thursday.

The rundown of topics and guests discussing the most important issue in the game.

While our segment was shortened because the Commish took his sweet time sharing his exciting news of a venue-less new Champions Tour stop, Matt Ginella and I only briefly discussed this most vital topic on Morning Drive.

20-Year-Old Li Haotong On Cusp Of History

Doug Ferguson reports that Kevin Kisner holds a two-stroke lead over Dustin Johnson, a former HSBC Champions winner. But if you've watched any of the event (and the ratings say you haven't), there is a really fun story potentially looming with 20-year-old Li Haotong.

Ferguson filed a separate story on Haotong, who gets some pretty entertaining crowd reactions to his shots.

“This tournament is so big - it’s too big,” Li said after a 6-under 66 that left him one shot out of the lead going into the final round. “I know that the final day, a lot of people are going to be making a lot of birdies. That’s why I thought my goal of this tournament would be making the top 10, because making the top 10 will already be a highlight and a milestone for my short career.

“I hope that tomorrow I can do well and finish at the position where I want to.”

Here's a little taste of a Li roar. Golf Channel coverage starts at 10 pm ET:

Update on 2015-11-08 07:07 by Geoff

**Another gem from Sunday's final round?

Li sends the crowd into a frenzy once again. This 20-year-old is full of magic. #QuickHits https://t.co/uWfSNZ3Wk6

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) November 8, 2015