Golf Channel is the American cable and satellite television network owned by NBC Sports Group subsidiary of Comcast NBCUniversal division. This channel focuses on the coverage of golf sports, including live tournament coverage, as well as factual and instructional programming. Founded in Birmingham, Alabama, channel and studio headquarters is currently located in Orlando, Florida. Golf channels are available in the United States, Canada and some countries in Asia and Latin America via cable, satellite and wireless transmissions.
As of February 2015, Golf Channels are available for approximately 79.25 million pay-TV households (68.1% of households with television) in the United States.
Video Golf Channel
History
The idea of ​​a 24-hour golf network comes from media entrepreneur Joseph E. Gibbs from Birmingham, Alabama, who first thought of such a concept in 1991. Gibbs feels there is enough interest in golf among the community to support such a network, and commissioning a Gallup Poll to see if the instinct is correct. With support from the poll behind him, Gibbs and legendary golfer Arnold Palmer subsequently earned $ 80 million in financing from several cable television providers to launch the network, which was one of the first cable networks developed to include a single sport.
Announced in February 1993, the launch date was targeted for May 1994; and was launched on January 17, 1995, with a ceremonial flip of the switch by co-founder Arnold Palmer. The first live tournament on television channels was the Dubai Desert Classic, held on January 19-22. Originally a premium channel on cable with limited customers, it was retooled in September 1995 to be part of the base cable to reach more viewers and rankings increased rapidly. Comcast cable television company became the majority owner in 2000 and the full owner of the channel in 2003.
In December 2006, it was announced that Golf Channel had obtained the right of cable television to the PGA Tour as part of a new 15-year contract. The contract includes the preliminary coverage of all official cash events, as well as full rights for early and autumn season events.
In March 2008, Comcast acquired GolfNow's online golf reservation platform. It's re located at Channel Golf headquarters in Orlando.
In January 2011, Comcast acquired a 51% majority stake in NBC Universal from General Electric. As a result of the re-alignment of Comcast's existing property to NBC Universal, Golf Channel and sports network Versus sister was included by the restructured NBC Sports division. The air synergy between NBC's existing production units came into force in February 2011 at the WGC Match Play Championship, when NBC's golf show uses Golf Channel imagery as a "Golf Course on NBC", in a way similar to ESPN's co-branded sports output at ABC. NBC Sports personality can now appear on Golf Channel, and former NBC Sports senior vice president Mike McCarley took over as the new head of the network. The network also adopted a modified logo featuring NBC peacocks.
In December 2013, Golf Channel launches a new logo, which is implemented in May 2014 to coincide with the 2014 Player Championship. The new logo replaces the "swinging G" emblem that has been used since the launch of the network with the NBC peacock wordmark. The new logo is intended to provide a unified brand across all properties and services associated with Golf Channel.
On June 8, 2015, it was announced that NBC Sports had secured the rights to the Open Championship starting in 2017 under a 12-year agreement; after former ESPN broadcasters voted out of the last year's rights, NBC began covering in 2016 instead. Initial round coverage was aired by Golf Channel, which marked the first time that Golf Channel ever broadcast one of the four major Men's golf championships. On May 3, 2016, NBC announced that Golf Channel will air most of the men's and women's golf tournaments for the 2016 Summer Olympics, which includes up to 300 hours of games, with 130 of those hours.
In 2016, Golf Channel acquired the World Long Drivers Association, organizer of the World Long Drive Championships; the scope of the event is then added to the network. In 2017, Golf Channel acquired Revolution Golf, a provider of online golf learning materials.
Before the final round of Sony Open tournament in Hawaii 2018, Golf Channel production staged a walkout.
High definition
In January 2007, Comcast launched Versus/Golf HD , a high-definition 1080i channel featuring programming from Golf Channel and Versus sister network. Golf channel programming is broadcast during the daytime hours, and Versus programming is broadcast at night and primetime hours. In December 2008, HD feeds from Golf Channel and Versus full time were launched to replace separate channels.
Maps Golf Channel
Programming
Event coverage
Golf Channel is the cable copyright holder of the PGA Tour, broadcasting live round coverage, and closing the early windows of the weekend round before network television coverage. Some events (especially, early season events like former Fall Series, and alternative events held against majors) are broadcasted entirely by Golf Channel. Golf Channel also broadcasts primetime records of the day's coverage, including network television broadcasts from NBC or CBS if applicable. Golf Channel also broadcast coverage of PGA Tour Champions and Web.com Tour events. Outside events hosted by PGA Tour, Golf Channel also carries coverage of the European Tour, LPGA Tour.
Golf Channel also has a Ryder Cup and Solheim Cup coverage with NBC, and the NCAA Division I Men's and Women's championships. It previously served as a secondary cable partner of the US Golf Association, the coverage of amateur tournament broadcasting (cable rights for Open USGA tournaments is owned by ESPN, but the resulting Golf Channel coverage of the event was conducted by NBC's major shareholders until their acquisition by Fox Sports on year 2015). Starting in 2016, Golf Channels broadcast the initial coverage of the Open Championships, and participate in NBCUniversal coverage of the Summer Olympics by closing its golf competition.
In April 2018, two non-golf, ice hockey events are scheduled on the Golf Channel as an overflow for the NBC coverage of the 2018 Stanley Cup, due to programming conflicts with USA Network and CNBC. News and analysis
Factual and reality
Instructional
Important person
The Golf Channel uses a number of people for tournaments, news, and instructional programming.
Current tournament figure
PGA Tour coverage
- Booth: And Hicks, Mike Tirico, Johnny Miller, Frank Nobilo, Terry Gannon, Nick Faldo, David Duval, Steve Sands
- Towers: Gary Koch, Peter Jacobsen, Matt Gogel
- Course: David Feherty, Roger Maltbie, Mark Rolfing, Notah Begay, Curt Byrum, Aaron Oberholser, Jim "Bones" Mackay
LPGA Tour coverage
- Booth: Terry Gannon, Judy Rankin, Whit Watson
- Towers: Tom Abbott, Jim Gallagher
- Courses: Jerry Foltz, Karen Stupples, Kay Cockerill
Champions Tour Coverage
- Booth: Bob Papa, Lanny Wadkins
- Tower: John Mahaffey
- Course: Billy-Ray Brown, John Cook
Tour Coverage Web.com
- Booth: Grant Boone, Craig Perks
- Tower: Steve Burkowski
- Course: Tripp Isenhour, Gary Christian
Golf Central
- Anchors: Ryan Burr, Kelly Tilghman, Matt Adams, George Savaricas, Lisa Cornwell
- Analysts: Brandel Chamblee, David Duval, Tripp Isenhour, Jim Gallagher, Nicole Castrale
Morning Drive
- Anchors: Lauren Thompson, Gary Willians, Damon Hack,
- Analysts: Charlie Rymer, Paige Mackenzie, Chris DiMarco, John Cook, Robert Damron
- Contributor: Matt Ginella
Golf Repair
- Host: Michael Breed
Former personality
- Brian Anderson
- Billy Andrade (2010-2012)
- Lara Baldesarra (2012-2013)
- Adam Barr
- Donna Caponi-Byrnes
- Vince Cellini
- Bob Costas
- Beth Daniel (2007-2010)
- Charles Davis
- Steve Duemig
- Jim Gray
- Kraig Kann (1995-2011)
- Jim Kelly
- Erik Kuselias (2011-2012)
- Ann Liguori
- Nancy Lopez
- Mark Lye
- Andrew Magee
- Win McMurry
- Jennifer Mills (1995-2006)
- Peter Oosterhuis (1995-2014)
- Phil Parkin (2006-2015)
- Dottie Pepper (2005-2012)
- Ahmad Rash? d (2013)
- Kristina Shalhoup
- Val Skinner (2002-2013)
- Stephanie Sparks (2000-2013)
- Brian Tennyson
- Ted Tryba
- Bob Valvano
- Scott Van Pelt (1995-2000)
Views Count
For October 2013, Golf Channel averages 84,000 daily views daily.
International version
UK Golf Channel
The English version of the channel called Golf Channel UK is operated by sporting goods retailer JJB Sports, and is available on BSkyB satellite service. It broadcasts many programs seen in US channels, but can not attract a decent audience because it offers some live golf tournaments; channel closed on December 31, 2007. All major tours have the majority of their major broadcasting contracts in the UK with Sky Sports. Setanta Golf also holds the right before closing and BBC Sport also includes major tournaments every year.
Latin America Golf Course
The Latin American version of the Golf Channel was launched in 2006 as a joint venture of DirecTV, and was obtained from DirecTV by former DirecTV executives Jason Markham and Evan Grayer along with Inversiones Bahia in 2018. This channel broadcasts a professional tournament from the PGA Tour, PGA Tour Latinoamà ©  © rica, European Tour and LPGA Tour with Spanish-speaking reporters, as well as Golf Central and other English-speaking events.
References
External links
- Official website
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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