PGA of America & NBC Reach Broadcasting Agreement


The PGA of America and NBC Sports Group have come to a broadcasting agreement for the Ryder Cup and Senior PGA Championship. Beginning in 2015, the agreement involves the networks of NBC and Golf Channel.

The partnership, which extends through 2030 and includes eight additional Ryder Cups on NBC, was announced Thursday by PGA of America president Ted Bishop and CEO Pete Bevacqua, and NBC Sports Group chairman Mark Lazarus. The agreement includes all-language and simultaneous streaming rights for NBC's Ryder Cup coverage.

The Ryder Cup has been televised by NBC since 1991. In 2012, the biennial event pitting 12-man teams from the USA and Europe was televised to nearly one-half billion households globally.

The agreement features new programming and special coverage of the Ryder Cup including: regular Ryder Cup preview shows, vignettes, features, reports and points updates on NBC and Golf Channel; a Ryder Cup Documentary Series on both networks; live coverage of practice rounds (for the first time ever) and the Ryder Cup Captain Selection Show on Golf Channel; and new Ryder Cup highlight programming on Telemundo and Mun2 to expand Hispanic viewership opportunities.

The Senior PGA Championship will also continue to air live on Golf Channel (weekday coverage) and NBC (weekend coverage) through 2030. Additionally, Golf Channel will continue live coverage of all four rounds of the PGA Professional National Championship. The partnership will include a series of historical highlights of the PGA of America, which will be produced in conjunction with the organization's centennial in 2016.

"In many ways, this is a transformational deal for the PGA of America," said Bevacqua. "We are not only excited about the continued excellent coverage and treatment of the Ryder Cup, Senior PGA Championship presented by KitchenAid and other PGA of America events by the NBC Sports Group, but we are eager to work with the networks of NBC, including Golf Channel, on celebrating the unique role of the PGA professional in the game. Golf Channel is the daily voice of golf in this country.

"There are wonderful synergies that will be explored between that voice and the PGA of America, as we work together to honor PGA professionals, draw upon their expertise and expand their relevance among those who already play the game and those who aspire to play."

Programming will be designed to promote growth-of-the-game initiatives, such as "Get Golf Ready," where a PGA professional will appear on a regular basis on Golf Channel and NBC's regional sports networks, offering advice on how beginning golfers can experience the game in a variety of ways.

"We're excited to continue our longstanding relationship with the PGA of America and renew the Ryder Cup, one of the most prestigious properties in sports, through 2030," noted Lazarus. "This multi-platform agreement allows our broadcast, cable, digital and regional platforms to work with the PGA on their prestigious events and important initiatives."

The above report is courtesy of the PGA of America. For more information, visit www.pga.com.