Sports Media News

Keeping Up With All The Industry Press Releases

TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL ROUND BECOMES HIGHEST-RATED FEDEXCUP PLAYOFFS TELECAST EVER AS TIGER WOODS WINS FOR FIRST TIME IN FIVE YEARS

By

5.21 Overnight Rating Becomes Highest-Rated PGA TOUR Telecast of 2018

18.4 Million Minutes Streamed on Sunday (+561% YoY); Most-Streamed

NBC Sports Sunday Golf Round Ever (Excluding Majors) 

ORLANDO, Fla., (Sept. 24, 2018) – NBC Sports Group’s final round coverage of the TOUR Championship on Sunday (3:00-6:15 p.m. ET) earned a 5.21 Overnight rating, as Tiger Woods claimed his 80th career victory, and his first in five years. The telecast is up 206% vs. 2017 (1.70).  It also becomes the highest-rated telecast in the history of the FedExCup Playoffs (2007-’18) and the highest-rated PGA TOUR telecast in 2018 (excluding majors). Coverage peaked from 5:30-6p (7.19) as Woods finished his round and as Justin Rose was being crowned the FedExCup champion, only trailing the peaks for The Masters (11.03) and PGA Championship (8.28) in 2018. The extended coverage window (1:30-6:15 p.m. ET) posted at 4.35 Overnight rating, which is the highest-rated TOUR Championship telecast on record (2000-’18)

“Tiger Woods’ win at the TOUR Championship was an unforgettable event in golf,” said Mike McCarley, President, Golf, NBC Sports Group. “The massive gallery following Tiger up the 18th fairway was matched by record viewership across NBC Sports’ platforms. Golf is experiencing a surge in momentum with Tiger and the young stars of the Tiger-inspired generation atop leaderboards. We look forward to this momentum continuing this week at the Ryder Cup.”

Sunday’s Final Round saw 18.4 million minutes streamed across NBC Sports Digital platforms (+561% year-over-year), and becomes the most-streamed NBC Sports’ Sunday round (excluding majors) on record (2013-’18).

Sunday’s lead-in coverage on Golf Channel (Noon-1:30p) also earned a .74 Overnight rating to become the highest Sunday lead-in telecast of the TOUR Championship ever (2007-’18).

This week, NBC Sports Group will offer weeklong coverage of the biennial Ryder Cup from Le Golf National outside of Paris, beginning with the premiere of its latest Golf Films’ project, Famous 5, tonight at 9 p.m. ET on Golf Channel. The network’s Ryder Cup week programming will be led by nearly 30 hours of its Emmy-nominated live event coverage, spanning from Friday morning’s opening tee shot just after 2 a.m. ET through the clinching point on Sunday. The United States will look to retain the Ryder Cup after defeating Europe in 2016 (17-11), and aim to win for the first time on European soil in 25 years, since 1993.

-NBC Sports Group-

SATURDAY’S THIRD ROUND OF THE TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP ON NBC SPORTS HIGHEST-RATED IN 15 YEARS

By

3.14 Overnight Rating on NBC Highest-Rated TOUR Championship Telecast Since 2009

Tiger Woods Leads by 3 Heading into Today’s Final Round, Live Coverage on Golf Channel Until 1:30 p.m. ET, Continuing on NBC Sports From 1:30-6 p.m. ET

ATLANTA, (Sept. 23, 2018) – NBC Sports’ third-round coverage of the TOUR Championship on Saturday (2:30-6:30 p.m. ET) delivered a 3.14 overnight rating (+142% vs. 2017), highest-rated round 3 TOUR Championship telecast in 15 years and highest-rated round 3 of any FedExCup Playoffs event on-record (2007-18). In addition, Saturday’s telecast is the highest-rated TOUR Championship telecast overall for any round since 2009. Coverage peaked from 6:15-6:30 p.m. ET with a 4.25 overnight rating.

Golf Channel’s round 3 lead-in coverage posted a .75 overnight rating (+63% vs. 2017), 2nd highest-rated lead-in telecast on Golf Channel at the TOUR Championship on-record (2007-18) behind only 2012 (.85).

Golf Channel and NBC Sports Digital accumulated more than 10.9 million streaming minutes of Saturday’s coverage at the TOUR Championship, +507% vs 2017 and the most-minutes streamed for a Saturday golf round (excluding major championships) on-record (2013-18).

Tiger Woods leads the TOUR Championship by 3 strokes at 12-under par over Rory McIlroy and Justin Rose heading into today’s final round. Woods and McIlroy are paired together for the final round – the first time in PGA TOUR history they are paired together for a final round. Live coverage airs on Golf Channel until 1:30 p.m. ET, continuing on NBC Sports from 1:30-6 p.m. ET. Golf Central will recap today’s final round on Golf Channel from 6-7 p.m. ET.

-NBC Sports Group-

PGA TOUR’s FedExCup Playoffs Culminate at TOUR Championship; NBC Sports Group to Air More Than 20 Live Hours of Tournament Coverage

By

Web.com Tour Championship to Award 25 PGA TOUR Cards for 2018-19 Season

PGA TOUR Champions in South Dakota for Inaugural Sanford International

Garcia Leads Field at European Tour’s Portugal Masters

ORLANDO, Fla. (Sept. 19, 2018) – Thirty players convene in Atlanta this week for the culmination of the PGA TOUR’s FedExCup Playoffs, with the $10 million prize on the line at the TOUR Championship. NBC Sports will carry more than 20 live hours of tournament coverage, with the current top-five in the FedExCup standings guaranteed to hoist the FedExCup by week’s end with a victory at East Lake Golf Club: Bryson DeChambeau (No. 1), Justin Rose (No. 2), Tony Finau (No. 3), Dustin Johnson (No. 4) and Justin Thomas (No. 5). The Web.com Tour Championship is being staged in Florida, with the fourth and final event of the Web.com Tour Finals awarding 25 PGA TOUR cards on Sunday for the 2018-19 season. The PGA TOUR Champions stage the inaugural Sanford International in South Dakota, with a handful of World Golf Hall of Fame members headlining the field. Sergio Garcia leads the field at the Portugal Masters on the European Tour.

PGA TOUR

TOUR Championship

Dates: Sept. 20-23

Venue: East Lake Golf Club, Atlanta, Ga.

Tournament Airtimes on Golf Channel (Eastern):

Thursday 1-6 p.m. (Live) / 7 p.m.-Midnight (Replay)

Friday 1-6 p.m. (Live) / 8:30 p.m.-1:30 a.m. (Replay)

Saturday 12:30-2:30 p.m. (Live) / 7:30 p.m.-1 a.m. (Replay)

Sunday Noon-1:30 p.m. (Live) / 7 p.m.-Midnight (Replay)

Tournament Airtimes on NBC (Eastern):

Saturday 2:30-6:30 p.m. (Live)

Sunday 1:30-6 p.m. (Live)

Golf Central Pre and Post Round Coverage on Golf Channel (Eastern)

Thursday 12:30-1 p.m. / 6-7 p.m.

Friday 12:30-1 p.m. / 8-8:30 p.m.

Saturday Noon-12:30 p.m. / 6:30-7:30 p.m.

Sunday 6-7 p.m.

Broadcast Notes:

More than 20 hours of live tournament coverage on Golf Channel, NBC: Golf Channel and NBC will combine for more than 20 hours of live tournament coverage from East Lake Golf Club. The field of 30 players features a top-five that automatically will win the FedExCup (and $10 million prize) with a victory this week: Bryson DeChambeau (No. 1), Justin Rose (No. 2), Tony Finau (No. 3), Dustin Johnson (No. 4) and Justin Thomas (No. 5).

Schauffele defends: Xander Schauffele finished one stroke ahead of Justin Thomas to earn his second PGA TOUR victory. Despite not winning the TOUR Championship, Thomas would claim the FedExCup.

Headlining the field: Bryson DeChambeau, Justin Rose, Tony Finau, Dustin Johnson, Justin Thomas, Keegan Bradley, Brooks Koepka, Bubba Watson, Billy Horschel, Cameron Smith, Webb Simpson, Jason Day, Francesco Molinari, Phil Mickelson, Patrick Reed, Patrick Cantlay, Rory McIlroy, Xander Schauffele, Tommy Fleetwood, Tiger Woods, Aaron Wise, Kevin Na, Rickie Fowler, Jon Rahm, Kyle Stanley, Paul Casey, Hideki Matsuyama, Gary Woodland, Marc Leishman and Patton Kizzire.

Golf Channel Broadcast Team:

Play by Play: Terry Gannon (Golf Channel) / Dan Hicks (NBC)

Analyst: Frank Nobilo (Golf Channel) / Johnny Miller (NBC)

Tower: Gary Koch / Peter Jacobsen / David Feherty

On-Course: Roger Maltbie / Notah Begay / Jim “Bones” Mackay

Interviews: Steve Sands / Todd Lewis (Golf Channel, Saturday-Sunday)

Essays: Jimmy Roberts

WEB.COM TOUR

Web.com Tour Championship

Dates: Sept. 20-23

Venue: Atlantic Beach Country Club, Atlantic Beach, Fla.

Tournament Airtimes on Golf Channel (Eastern):

Thursday 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. (Live)

Friday 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. (Live)

Saturday 2:30-4:30 p.m. (Live)

Sunday 1:30-4 p.m. (Live)

Broadcast Notes:

Web.com Tour Finals culminate with 25 PGA TOUR cards on the line: This week marks the conclusion of the four-event Web.com Tour Finals, with eligible players vying for 25 PGA TOUR cards for the 2018-19 season. Players in the field include the top-75 on the Web.com Tour money list and Nos. 126-200 in the final FedExCup regular season standings.

Headlining the field: Hunter Mahan, Maverick McNealy, Julian Suri, Lucas Glover, Peter Malnati, Robert Streb, Curtis Luck, Henrik Norlander, Ben Crane and Jonathan Byrd.

Tournament Broadcast Team:

Play by Play: Steve Burkowski

Analyst: Craig Perks

Tower: Phil Blackmar

On-Course: Gary Christian / Tripp Isenhour

Interviews: Chantel McCabe

PGA TOUR CHAMPIONS

Sanford International

Dates: Sept. 21-23

Venue: Minnehaha Country Club, Sioux Falls, S.D.

Tournament Airtimes on Golf Channel (Eastern):

Friday 6-8 p.m. (Tape delay) / 4:15-6:15 p.m. (Streaming on Golf Channel Digital)

Saturday 4:30-6:30 p.m. (Live)

Sunday 4-6 p.m. (Live)

Broadcast Notes:

Inaugural event: The PGA TOUR Champions will unveil an inaugural event for the second time in as many weeks, with this week’s Sanford International in South Dakota.

Headlining the field: Paul Broadhurst, Vijay Singh, Scott McCarron, Darren Clarke, John Daly, Jay Haas, Tom Lehman, Steve Stricker, Colin Montgomerie, David Toms and Corey Pavin.

Golf Channel Broadcast Team:

Play by Play: John Swantek

Analyst: Lanny Wadkins

Tower: John Mahaffey

On Course: Billy Ray Brown / John Cook

EUROPEAN TOUR

Portugal Masters

Dates: Sept. 20-23

Venue: Dom Pedro Victoria Golf Course, Vilamoura, Portugal

Tournament Airtimes on Golf Channel (Eastern):

Thursday 6:30-8:30 a.m. (Live)

Friday 6:30-8:30 a.m. (Live)

Saturday 7:30 a.m.-Noon (Live)

Sunday 7:30 a.m.-Noon (Live)

Broadcast Notes:

Bjerregaard defends: Lucas Bjerregaard finished four strokes ahead of Marc Warren to earn his first European Tour victory.

Headlining the field: Sergio Garcia, Padraig Harrington, Angel Cabrera, Jose Maria Olazabal, Thorbjorn Olesen, Charl Schwartzel, Hunter Stewart and Danny Willett.

Golf Channel Broadcast Team:

Host: Scott Walker

Play by Play: Dougie Donnelly

Analyst: Jay Townsend / Tony Johnstone

On-Course: Ken Brown

-NBC Sports Group-