PGA tour coverage on TGC

[Konrad]

So, are you guys exicted for PGA tour coverage in one place on TGC or are you dissapointed?

[cdriver]

I think the jury is still out on the change. It will certainly be good for the golf channel, but I am not sure it will help increase the visibility of the tour to everyone. The Golf Channel is a pretty specialized service to golf addicts like me, not where the general public turns. I am sure some of the ratings numbers for the tour were influenced by the exciting curling competition opposite it as much as for the excitement of the tour. The Tiger Factor aside, golf on TV just doesn't rate compared to the major sports. I am afraid the tour will be playing to a shrinking audience, which means a shrinking revenue pool, which means less sponsorship interest, ad infinitum.

I hope it doesn't turn into a death spiral.

[ragontona]

Not to mention, The Golf Channel isn't part of the basic cable package for some carriers. I know for me, I needed to buy the Sports Tier from Cox cable to get TGC.

[cdriver]

Not to mention, The Golf Channel isn't part of the basic cable package for some carriers. I know for me, I needed to buy the Sports Tier from Cox cable to get TGC.

I had forgotten to mention that part. I have had the higher tier for so long just to get TGC that I forot it wasn't part of the basic cable deal.. When I lived in Hot Springs, I came home one afternoon to find that The Golf Channel (Mecca to us addicts) had been taken off and the Food Channel (Yuck, spit) had been put on in its place. I immediately called the Cable company only to be told that the Golf Channel cost them too much, so they put on the cheaper Food Channel in its place.. murderous would be a good word to use for my mood just then....

[rembrandt]

So, are you guys exicted for PGA tour coverage in one place on TGC or are you dissapointed?

I really don't care where it is as long as I can watch it and enjoy it. Same for Monday night Football. ESPN is OK for me.......why not?

[FAHooGolfs]

I have two thoughts...

1. I'm excited that it'll be on in one place and that they can actually devote a solid amount of coverage to it. I'm really hoping that they will show a lot of early round coverage or that we'll see "early morning" coverage during the majors.

2. I agree with a lot of the sentiment that this will limit golf's availability to the general public, with one caveat.... remember when the only thing on ESPN was Sportscenter? The Golf Channel desperately needed something like the PGA to give it that extra "legitimacy" in the eyes of the cable networks and I believe that this added product will make the channel more attractive to the cable companies in general. Ultimately, it's still up to the PGA to provide an entertaining product that people want to see (thus pulling the demand and forcing the cable companies to provide access to TGC for the majority public). However, I think that if TGC really does a good job with the PGA and increases its market attractiveness, you'll see TGC appear back on regular cable packages before too long. It's just the laws of supply & demand.

[homey1]

It is a disaster in my eyes. As someone said above, the PGA tour will now be viewed by a much smaller audience. This cannot last the full 15 years of that contract unless TGC gets put onto basic cable like ESPN. Of course its no big deal for MNF to be put on ESPN because most homes with TV's get it. But TGC is only avialable with premium packages. In my case, it would cost me over $240 a year more to get TGC! I'd much rather spend that on greens fees or new equipment of actually going to a tournament to see it in person! I will certainly not spend it just to watch golf on TV, even though I really enjoy it.

[Fletch09]

One thing is for sure, this isn't going to help me see golf in High Def on a weekly basis!!!

[Thrash13]

It is The Golf Channel. It's about time PGA Tour golf is being featured on the channel. I'm all for it, but I have TGC. I understand that some people will hate it, and that's respectable. Most of the weekend action is still on local channels right?

How about losing the local channels like my wife and I did yesterday? DirecTV decided we were out of the zone to get local channels, so now we either have to get an antenna or do without. It's brutal!

If it isn't one thing, it's another.