Just announced today, the PGA Tour and DirecTV have announced a new rights agreement that allows the satellite provider to air extensive in-depth coverage of several tournaments. This is similar to the expanded coverage DirecTV provides for the Masters, U.S. Open, Open Championship and PGA Championship where extra channels are provided in addition to the network coverage.
It all begins this weekend with the Memorial and continue through to the Barclays in August. The expanded coverage includes the CBS network feed and focus on one particular hole, and a channel that analyzes swings and data for each tournament.
The extra channels will be provided at no extra charge to subscribers and will be available in HD only. DirecTV’s content will also be made available on the PGA Tour iPad app.
Here’s the joint DirecTV/PGA Tour announcement.
PGA TOUR and DIRECTV Link Up For Enhanced Coverage of Four 2013 PGA TOUR EventsDIRECTV Adds ‘PGA TOUR Experience’ to Its Interactive Golf Coverage; Exclusive ‘Launch Pad’ Channel Analyzes Long Drives;
DIRECTV Content Available on PGA TOUR iPad App
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. and EL SEGUNDO, Calif., May 28, 2013 – The PGA TOUR and DIRECTV have formed a new partnership that will take PGA TOUR fans at home further inside the ropes with exclusive features and enhanced coverage of four PGA TOUR events this year, beginning this weekend with the Memorial Tournament.
As part of this new programming and marketing partnership, DIRECTV will round off its existing bonus coverage of the four major golf championships with the PGA TOUR Experience – in HD and free of charge to all customers – offering viewers expanded, live weekend coverage of the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide Insurance (June 1-2); the Travelers Championship (June 22-23); the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational (Aug. 3-4); and The Barclays (Aug. 24-25).
Enhanced coverage of the TOUR events will include exclusive features for DIRECTV viewers through a four-in-one screen Mix Channel displaying:
- The CBS Sports network feed;
- “Launch Pad,” a channel dedicated to analyzing golf’s most explosive shot, the long drive;
- “ShotLink® Channel,” a data-intensive view of tournament competition;
- A “Featured Group” channel that lets viewers follow select groups of players around the course.
Viewers will also be able to experience this expanded tournament content on the PGA TOUR iPad app for the first time. DIRECTV’s current slate of expanded, Mix Channel coverage of this year’s remaining majors includes: U.S. Open (June 13-16), The Open Championship (July 18-21) and the PGA Championship (Aug. 8-11).
Each of the bonus channels will be fully produced and have its own announcers. The Mix Channel will also display a persistent Leader Board alongside the channel’s four video cells, providing tee times, live scoring and the leaders’ location on the course. Each channel in the Mix can be tuned to full screen. For more information on DIRECTV’s expanded golf coverage, visit www.DIRECTV.com/golf.
“DIRECTV’s PGA TOUR Experience will drive the engagement of viewers who love to watch the sport and those weekend golfers who are on an eternal quest to improve their game. It’s like having a professional caddie in your living room,” said Chris Long, senior vice president, Entertainment and Production, DIRECTV. “With our new PGA TOUR partnership, we’re looking forward to exciting golf fans with expanded coverage of the PGA TOUR in 2013, further establishing our position as the leader in sports among all pay TV providers.”
“We are constantly exploring new and innovative ways to engage our fans on all media platforms,” said Rick Anderson, PGA TOUR Executive Vice President of Television and Digital Media. “Through our new partnership with DIRECTV, we will give
fans a chance to experience the PGA TOUR as never before on a destination sports platform.”
The Launch Pad channel will provide a unique, analytical view of tee shots that require not just distance but strategy. The action will be captured by dedicated cameras positioned on the tee box and landing area of the selected Launch Pad hole at each tournament. The swings will be broken down and analyzed using super slow motion replays, Pro-Tracer shot tracking, split-screen comparisons and graphic enhancements. Distances and results will be measured against statistical data.
The Launch Pad holes are: the Memorial Tournament, 529-yard No. 15 (Muirfield Village GC): a par 5 that is reachable in two, but only with a tee shot that is both long and straight; Travelers Championship, 296-yard No. 15 (TPC River Highlands): a drivable par 4, it’s the most exciting hole on the course; World Golf Championships–Bridgestone Invitational, 667-yard No. 16 (Firestone CC): this par 5 is the signature hole at Firestone’s South Course and produces some of the longest drives on TOUR all year; The Barclays, 324-yard No. 16 (Liberty National): another drivable par 4, it should play a big role in determining the champion.
ShotLink® Channel is designed for the fan who wants to go well beyond the traditional broadcast experience for a data-rich analysis of the game that will include both video and data simultaneously.
An interactive menu, available by pressing the red button on the remote, will include selectable items such as: Top Five Leaders; Leaderboard, which displays an in-depth scorecard for each player with hole-by-hold stats for the current or any previous round; and the players’ current year stats.
That is all for this post.
