Just a week after Joe Buck and Greg Norman were officially announced as the lead broadcast team for the U.S. Open starting next year, we get word that Fox Sports has signed another golf event and naturally, it’s associated with Norman. It’s the Shark Shootout that had previously been aired on CBS and NBC/Golf Channel over the last two decades.
As a result of the move to Fox, the Shootout becomes a Thursday through Saturday tournament instthe Friday through Sunday schedule it had been previously.
Norman hosts the tournament every year in Naples, FL and starting this December, the Shootout moves to Fox Sports 1/Fox. It becomes the first PGA Tour event to air on Fox and will mark the broadcast debut of Buck and Norman before they call the U.S. Open at Chambers Bay on Puget Sound in Washington in June 2015. This will give Buck and Norman an opportunity to establish their chemistry over a three day period.
Fox will have the rights to air the tournament on television and stream it online through its Fox Sports Go app.
Here are the details of the announcement.
2014 SHARK SHOOTOUT TO BE FIRST PROFESSIONAL GOLF EVENT BROADCAST ON FOX
Joe Buck & Greg Norman Make Their Tower Debut
Los Angeles – FOX Sports and the Shark Shootout have reached a multi-year, multi-platform rights agreement that brings the Shark Shootout to FOX and FOX Sports 1 exclusively beginning this December 11-13. The 2014 event is held at Tiburon Golf Club at The Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort in Naples, Fla.
Founded in 1989 by World Golf Hall of Famer Greg Norman, who was recently paired with Joe Buck as FOX Sports’ 18th tower broadcast team, the Shootout is the longest running PGA TOUR-sanctioned challenge season event. The Shootout’s move to FOX Sports makes it the first PGA TOUR-sanctioned event televised by FOX and FOX Sports 1, features a minimum of 10 hours of live tournament coverage and is where Buck and Norman make their broadcasting debut together.
Just last year, FOX secured the rights for all United States Golf Association (USGA) events, including the U.S. Open, starting in 2015. Adding the Shark Shootout to the FOX Sports golf portfolio further solidifies its entry into golf while providing additional compelling content for FOX and FOX Sports 1.
“The Shark Shootout is a prestigious PGA TOUR-sanctioned event, so we jumped at the idea of working with Greg and bringing it to FOX Sports,” said Eric Shanks, FOX Sports President, COO & Executive Producer. “This is going to be a great opportunity for us to have Joe and Greg work with the rest of the FOX Sports golf team for the first time, and moving the final round from a football Sunday to Saturday makes for a much better showcase.”
“I’m thrilled that FOX Sports has secured the rights to broadcast the tournament that I have hosted for the last 25 years, and equally excited about making my broadcasting debut with Joe Buck,” said Norman, Chairman and CEO of Great White Shark Enterprises. “FOX Sports has always taken an innovative approach to sports broadcasting, and I’m certain that their coverage of golf will be no different. The Shark Shootout is a unique event that showcases an outstanding collection of PGA TOUR talent, while more importantly helping to generate awareness for children’s cancer research. I am honored that FOX Sports has added the event to their golf lineup. ”
The shift to FOX Sports results in a schedule change for the Shootout. The opening round of the 54-hole professional competition is held Thursday, Dec. 11 with the final round played Saturday, Dec. 13. This year, FOX Sports 1 televises the Thursday and Friday rounds, and FOX broadcasts the final round on Saturday.
Throughout its history, the Shark Shootout has attracted many of golf’s greatest players who form two-man teams and compete in the a modified alternate-shot, better ball and scramble formats. The 12 two-man teams are expected to be announced in October. The defending champions of the Shootout are Matt Kuchar and Harris English, who were victorious over a field of challengers including Jason Dufner/Dustin Johnson, Ian Poulter/Lee Westwood, Greg Norman/Jonas Blixt and Steve Stricker/Jerry Kelly.
All three rounds of the Shark Shootout televised by FOX and FOX Sports 1 are streamed live via FOX Sports GO through participating video providers.
That will do it.
