CBS, NBC, Golf Channel Have Scooped Up Majority Of Next PGA Tour Contract Through 2030

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John Ourand predicted the outcome just hours before reporting exclusively for Sports Business Daily on the PGA Tour’s next TV rights deal, which looks very similar in many respects to their current arrangement.

Not that there’s anything wrong with that.

Any baseball fan can tell you how the discombobulated structure of network and playoff games takes something away from the simplicity of knowing where to find a telecast. And while streaming, cord-cutting and other sports chip away at the number of viewers, golf has posted smaller declines compared to some sports, in part because final rounds are found on networks and the core audience knows where to find early round coverage.

That said, Ourand says deals haven’t been officially signed pending the resolution of “minor sticking points”. Left undecided is the provider of digital streams for PGA Tour Live coverage and other digital elements. But he still reports many exclusive details worth considering beyond the money stuff, which only PGA Tour VP’s care about as they look to upgrade their X3’s to X5 M’s this holiday shopping season.

Ourand says the annual value of the deal jumps from $400 million to $700 million. And….

CBS and NBC essentially will keep the same regular-season packages. The big difference will be seen with the FedEx Cup Playoffs. CBS and NBC will produce all three playoff tournaments, including the Tour Championship, in alternating years. As part of the nine-year deals, NBC will carry the playoffs five times and CBS will carry them four times. Previously, NBC and CBS shared these rights, with NBC producing most of them each year.

I’m not sure of the reasoning behind this. Nor can I envision why fans will care.

An official announcement is not expected to come until early next year. The big hold-up is with digital rights, which are currently held by NBC Sports as part of PGA Tour Live and are still being negotiated. ESPN has made an aggressive play for the rights, which in addition to PGA Tour Live, includes tournament coverage before the networks go on air. ESPN+ would carry the digital rights. Discovery also has emerged as a serious contender for the digital rights and appears likely to share them with NBC Sports if they can manage to work out a deal. Discovery holds the Tour’s digital rights internationally. After initial interest, it appears that Amazon has dropped out of the bidding. Sources said it was too difficult to handicap a favorite for the digital rights.

Again, this is pre-coverage on PGA Tour Live and remains a small part of the equation. More fascinating is that the PGA Tour Live broadcast window and role sounds about the same in the new deal as the old.

The Tour hired Evolution Media as counsel on its rights deals. CBS and NBC also emerge as winners, keeping rights to a property that generated a lot of interest among media companies. The deal answers a lot of questions about the new ViacomCBS, whose merger became official two weeks ago. Coming on the heels of its UEFA Champions League deal, this PGA Tour deal shows that CBS will be aggressive in getting sports rights. The deal shows how important the Tour is to Golf Channel -- and how important Golf Channel is to the Tour. As part of its offer, AT&T said it would turn Headline News into a golf-centric channel, but sources said AT&T never got close to a deal.

In the battle of media moguls, does this mean Brian Roberts closed out Randall Stephenson 6&5?

Left unsaid: how much AT&T’s debt issues and activist investor impacted willingness to introduced a new channel as the future becomes OTT/app-focused.

Also to be explained: what happened to anticipated interest from Fox, Amazon and ABC, or the to-be-created PGA Tour Network. Are the first three outlets cited saving their money for the NFL or did they decide golf just wasn’t for them.

The structure outlined appears to be a small victory for network and cable where a majority of golf fans still reside. However, we’ll hopefully learn of efforts addressed in the new deal to provide cord cutters the option to pay for this coverage via OTT services, and also of PGA Tour demands for certain production values.

Also unaddressed yet: what happens to LPGA Tour, PGA Tour Champions and Korn Ferry coverage rights?

And the most pressing question of all should settled soon: is the CEO mid-final round interview a thing of the past?

Ourand Predicts PGA Tour Broadcast Incumbents To Return, GolfTV Will Get Digital Rights

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In his 2020 predictions column, Sports Business Daily’s media writer John Ourand says this about the PGA Tour television rights negotiations:

Incumbent broadcasters CBS and NBC Sports Group will renew their PGA Tour deals, including Golf Channel. What’s particularly interesting about this deal, though, will be the tour’s U.S. digital rights. After initial interest, talks with Amazon will not materialize, and ESPN+ will put in an aggressive bid. But the tour ultimately will decide to sell its digital rights to Discovery, which will make it part of its GolfTV business.

The latter portion of his prediction would be fascinating given the enticing possibilities of including Amazon and/or ESPN/Disney as a media partner given how established both already have become in the streaming world.

Of course it’s all a prediction at this point and news of deal particulars could drop any moment.

Which reminds me, a new Mandalorian drops Wednesday!

**Not long after this post went up, the Forecaddie reported the retirement of CBS producer Lance Barrow at the end of 2020. The longtime head of their golf team replaced the late Frank Chirkinian.

Ramifications Of 2019's Presidents Cup's Big Ratings: 141% Increase Since Korea

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Of course naysayers will score a few points noting Tiger’s involvement, which still draws up to a million more eyeballs than most golf telecasts. And they won’t be wrong.

But consider what the Presidents Cup was facing this year in drawing an audience: late night finishes in the Eastern Time Zone, Christmas party and event season when people are less likely to be home on a Friday or Saturday night, and the Presidents Cup coming on the heels of a fall when cartoon reruns drew larger ratings than most of the PGA Tour’s fall events (especially non-Tiger Asia swing tournaments).

First, For Immediate Release:

MOST-WATCHED CABLE TELECAST IN PRESIDENTS CUP HISTORY

Saturday’s Final Day Singles Matches on GOLF Channel Featuring Playing

Captain Tiger Woods Sees 141% Increase vs. 2015 Final Day in South Korea 

Viewership Peaked at 2.15 Million Viewers Per Minute (11:15-11:30P ET)

as United States Team Was Completing its Come-From-Behind Victory 

ORLANDO, Fla., (Dec. 16, 2019) – Saturday’s Final Day singles matches at the Presidents Cup at Royal Melbourne Golf Club in Australia became the most-watched cable telecast in Presidents Cup history, according to Nielsen Fast Nationals. 

Airing live in primetime on GOLF Channel (6 p.m.-12:05 a.m. ET), the final day posted a Total Audience Delivery (TAD) of 1.742 million viewers per minute (+141% vs. ’15 Final Day), including 1.705 million viewers per minute tuning in to the linear telecast. Viewership peaked at 2.15 million viewers per minute (1.37 U.S. HH rating) from 11:15-11:30 p.m. ET as the United States team was completing its come-from-behind victory over the International team. Saturday also became the most-streamed Final Day in Presidents Cup history.

There was also this regarding Friday’s eleven hour telecast featuring two sessions. Note that viewership average over eleven hours of golf:

Yet to come in as of this post: NBC’s numbers from the weekend showing the repeat of the sessions. Later in the week we should have a sense of total audience.

But we already know enough from such strong numbers in weird time slots to highlight a few things.

—Sports fans will watch for long spans or dip in for decent-lengths of time if it’s compelling, featuring elite players at a quality venue.

—Team events and match play continue to engage fans in ways that stroke play cannot.

—Never hurts to have a close match.

—The PGA Championship, played at night in Australia, in a winter month, and in Olympic years as many suggested, would have been a ratings success along with a “grow the game” extravaganza.

Clayton: Royal Melbourne Allowed Tiger To Show He's Still Better Than Everyone

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At the 2019 Presidents Cup, a supreme design presented free of distance defenses was both fun to watch and possibly horrifying for the golfers who make a living at the game. Because as Mike Clayton notes for Golf Australia, on a golf course requiring both brains, brawn and control, Tiger Woods was allowed to play freely.

Off the tee he put the ball right where he had to and then set to work with his irons. In fairness, most of them were short ones, but every time he looked up the ball was going right where he aimed it. The trajectory was perfect, the ball shaped to suit the green and only rarely did he take himself out of a hole by missing in the wrong place.



At the par-3 third with 148 yards to the hole, he flew a wedge a step short of the front line of the green and, as every member at Royal Melbourne knows, the inevitability is the ball tumbles back 20 paces to the base of the hill. He was short again at the treacherous uphill, fifth, but they were rare errors. 

It was a master class in playing a treacherous golf course with control and precision and watching Woods swing and hit this week suggests the race is still on for Jack Nicklaus’ major championship record. 



He was the best player here.

This does beg a question. Tiger should ask the governing bodies dragging their feet on distance and equipment regulation how many majors they think he might have won had they not let bomb and gouge become a thing that works? You know, just as a conversation starter.

Video: Live From Sends Nobilo Off In Style

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While you were sleeping, Rich Lerner and Brandel Chamblee paid tribute to Frank Nobilo on his last “Golf Central Live From” show. He’s off to CBS full-time, but over the last fifteen years has been a huge part of our enjoyment of major championship coverage.

The segment:

Why? USA Completes Impressive Presidents Cup Comeback And Not Many Feel Very Satisfied By The Outcome

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The Internationals came up just short at Royal Melbourne. Outside of the Team USA inner circle and some fanboys granted a media pass, this will not be remembered as a genuinely satisfying win by the Americans.

Maybe I’m dead wrong. Perhaps there will be dancing in the streets of Jupiter and residents of Quail Hollow will awake to some overturned cars. A White House visit could include Captain Tiger Woods declaring this better than all of his major championship wins combined.

But I doubt it.

Even though the USA’s 16-14 Presidents Cup win left fewer-than-usual feel-good vibes, that sense will not take away from the often-remarkable golf played by both sides. The sensational Royal Melbourne will also rise above the weeks’ strange vibes, as will the effort by the many rookies in a high-pressure team golf event. The matches were immensely satisfying to watch. All involved should be proud.

And yet the ultimate takeaway from Team USA’s 16-14 win will be one of apathy thanks to the inclusion, embrace and pitiful presence of Patrick Reed.

While Woods played beautifully and carried himself with great class, his captaining left much to be desired. Not only was the Reed selection confounding in the wake of 2018’s Ryder Cup boondoggle, where Reed had the audacity to complain about getting saddled with Woods as he posted what would have been a score in the low 80s, Reed’s place on the team was so unnecessary in a year of major American depth.

Yet Woods rode Reed through three losses before finally benching him Saturday afternoon. A dust-up involving his caddie less than 24 hours after a peculiar 2-down, post-putt mocking celebration only reinforced that Reed is a supreme point-misser who has not learned lessons from past mistakes. Patrick Reed is the guy who over-celebrates after a dunk when his team is down by 30.

Reed’s past “body of work” and complicated presence meant he should not have been rewarded with a Presidents Cup team selection. In a “grow the game” world, Reed’s inability to grasp the very basics makes him capable of doing real damage to the reputation of professional golf.

When Reed cheated in last week’s Hero World Challenge, Woods was left with a dilemma. Leaving him off the team last minute was not feasible, but rewarding him with three starts alongside nice guy Webb Simpson left a bad taste in the mouths of American fans wanting to see a reward for class and quality. Simpson ultimately will regret protesting the “undeserved” heckling Reed received.

Maybe time will heal and wipe away memories of the Reed taint on these matches. Or the strange embrace by both Woods and the PGA Tour of the game’s ultimate 24/7, First Team, All-Conference example of Conduct Unbecoming. For now, this Presidents Cup will be remembered for being won by a team embracing a toxic figure beyond repair. And that’s why even many Americans will not feel good about the outcome.

Els Just Has To Get Something Off His Chest About Crowds: "We shut up and we get on with things."

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While you were sleeping, the Presidents Cup captain’s presser took an intriguing turn when Tiger Woods delicately addressed crowd jeering at Royal Melbourne. The remarks came in the wake of Patrick Reed and caddie Kessler Karain getting into it with a fan, resulting in Karain’s expulsion from Sunday singles bag-toting.

Q. The comments you've made about the galleries, do you think it's become disrespectful and gone too far, particularly today?

TIGER WOODS: You know, it has happened. Have people said things that have been over the top? Yes. I've heard it. I've been in the groups playing when it has happened, and I've been inside the ropes as a captain today witnessing it.

As I said, all I ask for all the galleries is be excited but be respectful of the players, all 24 of us.

Then a few questions later, Captain Ernie Els just had to get something off his chest. Note the jump-in here without a question:

Q. Tiger, did you have any thoughts on that? Was there a desire to keep as many guys fresh, or not?

TIGER WOODS: Well, that's one of the neat things about playing in team matches. Guys are, in this format, are expected to play two sessions, and could go up to five, all 12 guys were aware of that. There were things that could happen and we could make adjustments on the fly, some guys would sit; some guys would go.

Today, sitting out four players in each session is never an easy thing, and we got feel for who was playing well, who was ready to go, different pairings, and we went with it.

ERNIE ELS: I just want to say one thing about the crowd. I've played in many Presidents Cups. I've played in the U.S. many times. If you look back at New York and how these players were treated in New York, this crowd is pretty quiet.

I mean, we just get treated the same wherever you go as an away game, there's some heckling going on and we all know that, and you prepare for that, and that's just the way it goes.

We shut up and we get on with things. That's what we did in New York. So it's part of the game. And I'm with Tiger; I absolutely, I'm against heckling. I'm against crowds being disrespectful to the players, but it happens. We as professionals, we move on.

I think Tiger is one of the ultimate professionals that's ever played the game. I've played with him where he's been heckled in U.S. Opens and a lot of other places. He's taken it on the chin and he's moved forward. He's been an example.

Same has happened to me. It's happened to a lot of players. But I must say, this Aussie crowd, okay, they got a little bit boisterous this afternoon with a couple of beers, but which crowd doesn't. You take it and you move on.

Well okay then.

Patrick Reed's Caddie Gets Into Fan Squabble, Will Not Caddy In Presidents Cup Sunday Singles

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Following his morning loss with Webb Simpson to take his record to 0-3-0 in the 2019 Presidents Cup, Patrick Reed’s caddie and brother-in-law Kessler Karain were battling with unruly fans, with Karain jumping off a cart to physically confront the fan. Bob Harig reports that the PGA Tour investigated and concluded that Karain will not loop on Sunday. Their statement:

“Following an incident that took place on Saturday at the Presidents Cup involving Kessler Karain and a spectator, Karain will not return to caddie for Sunday’s final-round Singles matches. We will have no further comment at this time.”

Fan video caught the tail end of the dispute:

Kessler provided this statement to select media, with the Foreplay Pod the first to post. Note that athletes are now with a capital A.

6.5 To 3.5: U.S. Rallies Late To Prevent International Blowout, Woods To Sit Saturday Morning

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It was a sensational day at firmer and faster Royal Melbourne, with the International team looking like they could win all five matches at one point before a foursomes session tie. This sets up a big Saturday with of four-ball and foursomes.

Woods plans to sit in the morning session, but is sending out the 0-2 team of Patrick Reed and Webb Simpson. The early morning matchups:

While the day was dominated by the Internationals, the standout moments belonged to the Americans turning two tied matches into 18th hole wins.

Patrick Cantlay sank this birdie putt to hold off Joaquin Niemann and Adam Hadwin. At the time, Team USA trailed 6-1.

Tiger’s approach to 18 set up this Justin Thomas clutch birdie putt:

Patrick Reed's "Fun" With The Crowd Highlighted And It Doesn't Go Over Well

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For the second day Patrick Reed and Webb Simpson lost a Presidents Cup match.

Reed, fresh off cheating at the Hero World Challenge, has been hearing it from fans so even though he made a putt just to halve a hole and keep his match at 2 down, the hubris and rage kicked in. The PGA Tour social account, perhaps encouraged by Team USA’s kid-gloves treatment of Reed, gave it a light spin and the commenters were not amused. Golfers, I’m pleased to say, are not embracing the nebulous behavior of Reed despite efforts to sugarcoat his actions.

The post:

And just some of the comments:

Presidents Cup: Are There Aussie Fanatics Paid To Act As Americans?

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Cover your children’s eyes. This could be jarring.

GolfDigest.com’s Shane Ryan wrote about the Presidents Cup first tee scene Thursday and subsequently reported that the group of red-white-and-blue “American” fans seated there are…Australians.

Worse, Ryan says they are part of The Fanatics group, and likely paid by event organizers to act as crazed, noisy, red-blooded Americans. Other outlets are noticing his Tweets, in order starting from the bottom up.

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Can't Make It Up Files: Ladies European Tour Confirms They Are Headed To That Bastion Of Gender Equity, Saudi Arabia

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Hey, the women will get to enter restaurants through the front door as of this week!

No better time to go to Saudi Arabia then for a golf tournament!

Originally announced in late October, the details were made official today. From Reuters:

“I’m incredibly excited by this announcement and it is an honor for the Tour to be part of history in bringing the first-ever professional women’s golf event to Saudi Arabia,” LET CEO Alexandra Armas said in a statement.

“Confirmation of adding Saudi Arabia to our schedule for 2020 is an exciting prospect... and having seen the quality of the event staging for the Saudi International, I am sure this will be a fantastic experience for our players.”

A number of golfers have been roped in as ambassadors to promote the sport in the country, including Britain’s Carly Booth, Amy Boulden and Rachel Drummond, and Sweden’s Camilla Lennarth and Isabella Deilert.

It wasn’t long ago Booth was roasted for signing an endorsement deal with Saudi Arabia (Ewan Murray’s Guardian story from April.)

At least the LET learned from the European Tour’s mistake and did not mention the Crown Prince’s grand vision for golf.

Clayton On Royal Melbourne: "Perfection isn't always perfect"

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It was a sensational first day at crispy and speedy Royal Melbourne (at least from the approaches in). While much focus has rightfully been on the players, the course really is the star.

The Composite Course’s routing and sequencing is a bit unusual for the Presidents Cup, so Golf Australia’s Mike Clayton looks at that and other minor flaws in what he sees as an otherwise flawless piece of architecture.

He addresses the bland 17th, which is actually a brilliant, Old Course-inspired opener most of the time:

With its hugely wide fairway the opening hole on the West steels from the principle of the shot off the first tee on The Old Course at St Andrews. At both it’s awfully hard to mess the drive up, allowing players the comfort of knowing they are unlikely to ruin their day almost before it has begun. 

The problem is a hole designed to open the course is the 17th this week, making it a bit like reading a book with the chapters out of order. It’s not a bad 17th hole but the 17th on the West Course (9th this week) might be the best par four in the country and the original 17th on the Composite (the 15th) is one of the finest par fives.

The very next hole, the par 5, 2nd West (the 18th) is played off the women’s tee this week as a par four. Whilst the carry bunkers wouldn’t pose a problem off the very back (par 5) tee they are too close to the tournament tee to even look ‘right’ because the scale doesn’t quite work.

A great long two-shotter is thus reduced down to a drive and a short iron and something MacKenzie wouldn’t even recognise if the measure is the clubs he wanted players to be hitting into one of the most beautiful green sites on the course.

Video: Presidents Cup Tribute To Peter Thomson

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Nice to see a tribute to three-time (and only International winning) Presidents Cup captain and Australian golf great Peter Thomson as part of day one’s festivities. Besides the late Australian great’s family at the first tee, this feature aired on the broadcasts and social media.


Whoa: Sharp Internationals Open Up Stunning 4-1 Presidents Cup Lead Over USA

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Royal Melbourne looked stunning.

Quality golf from Tiger and most of the Internationals offset some rust, sloppiness and course management mistakes from the USA. And in what has been mostly lopsided, the International team opened up a stunning 4-1 lead as Team USA looked a bit overmatched at times (jet lag, speedy Royal Melbourne the likely culprits).

Friday’s foursomes, where USA teams have dominated (unlike the Ryder Cup), just got more interesting. This is the International team’s first lead after any session since 2005.

Tactically, the Patrick Reed placement with Webb Simpson will be questioned given Simpson’s recent strong play in matches with Matt Kuchar. Reed, predictably, was heckled loudly on the first tee and received lukewarm reactions throughout the day.

As for highlights, Sungjae Im’s first hole eagle was the only better shot than Tiger’s brilliant wedge and gimme:

Woods chip in at 5 as he carried Justin Thomas to the lone USA win:

Dustin Johnson driving the 11th may have been the most incredible shot of the day. He missed the eagle putt and his team halved the hole.

Friday’s foursomes deprived us of a Reed-Cam Smith showdown, and it sounds like that’s a shame given the tension as reported on by Mark Hayes:

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