Significant issue I feel is effecting PGA tour TV viewership ratings

[uttexas]

More and more people are watching TV via DVR. It's a great machine; you can record a show while running errands, spending time with the family, or playing golf then return home and watch the televised event fastforwarding through the commercials. I love golf and try to record every PGA tour event, but I fail in doing so. With most TV shows, you can just find it once and press record twice to record the entire series in perpetuity. With golf, because the program title starts with the sponsor name, you can't just press record twice and record the entire series. More often than not, you have to laboriously record the Golf rounds individually for each day, every week. The first two rounds are usually on TGC, so those regularly record if I forget to set up the DVR. But the final two rounds, I must record individually more times than not. To add to the confusion, some of the majors and other events are shown on different channels. If I, a golf fanatic, has trouble keeping up with and recording, then watching televised golf, I'm sure the average fan does.

[xxsoultonesxx]

Sounds like you got it figured out.

[MiniBlueDragon]

With Sky in the UK I just hit Record and then Series Link and it grabs all of them.

[Shorty]

It doesn't affect ratings at all. Ratings are based on what people watch live, not what they record. Secondly, broadcasters don't want you to zip through the ads,so what you describe as a problem is what the networks want.

[shades9323]

I guess I don't see that as a significant issue. The average fan most likely not DVR'ing golf.

Originally Posted by uttexas

More and more people are watching TV via DVR. It's a great machine; you can record a show while running errands, spending time with the family, or playing golf then return home and watch the televised event fastforwarding through the commercials.

I love golf and try to record every PGA tour event, but I fail in doing so. With most TV shows, you can just find it once and press record twice to record the entire series in perpetuity. With golf, because the program title starts with the sponsor name, you can't just press record twice and record the entire series. More often than not, you have to laboriously record the Golf rounds individually for each day, every week. The first two rounds are usually on TGC, so those regularly record if I forget to set up the DVR. But the final two rounds, I must record individually more times than not. To add to the confusion, some of the majors and other events are shown on different channels.

If I, a golf fanatic, has trouble keeping up with and recording, then watching televised golf, I'm sure the average fan does.

[newtogolf]

With the popularity of DVR's Nielsen ratings now track live viewership as well as DVR viewing but do not include on-line viewership as of yet;

"Nielsen has between 20,000 and 25,000 households in its national people meter sample. Their Live and DVR TV viewing is measured, including which members of the household are doing the watching, and extrapolated to represent the US TV population. That's where all the ratings you read about here (and elsewhere) ultimately come from."

Originally Posted by Shorty

It doesn't affect ratings at all. Ratings are based on what people watch live, not what they record. Secondly, broadcasters don't want you to zip through the ads,so what you describe as a problem is what the networks want.

[jamo]

I've never owned or even used a DVR, but on [S]Comcast[/S] Xfinity, on the guide golf is either listed as "PGA Tour Golf" or simply "Golf" if it's a Nationwide or Euro Tour event, rather than, say, "Bridgestone Invitational."

[Tiger Spuds]

Less adverts might improve viewer ratings too. I know American viewers are used to excessive commercials, it's just how things are there, but is 7 commercial breaks in an hour not a bit ridiculous? Sky presenters counted that many in one hour during coverage last night, they couldn't believe it. I could understand it if it was a smaller tournament and there wasn't much excitement, but the Deutche Bank was full of big names and had a bunched leaderboard until late on in the round. To cut away from that action so often is madness to me. I always feel like I'm missing a lot watching American golf coverage.

[newtogolf]

I agree, I watched most of this weeks tournament online and the number of commercial breaks was almost unbearable.  Not only were there too many commercial breaks, but they ran the same 5 or 6 commercials every time.  I don't think I can handle seeing the FedEx commercial where the guy thinks he replied all to his e-mail one more time and at this point I don't care what Phil thought when he holed his shot from the rough during the masters.

Originally Posted by Tiger Spuds

Less adverts might improve viewer ratings too.

[uttexas]

I guess I don't see that as a significant issue. The average fan most likely not DVR'ing golf.

Good point. I'm getting to the point where I only watch DVRd programming (time constraints and dislike of commercials); so there are shows that I am a casual fan of that I record I did notice that the coverage of the Deutche Bank was riddled with commercials (which I fastforwarded through). It was sometimes 5 putts: commercial break: tee shot + 4 putts: commercial break. Terrible.

[paulg]

There's no way in hell I will ever watch golf broadcast in the US again. I gave up on the PGA and went out for a beer. At one point we had commercials, 3 minutes of discussion, MORE commercials, then about 5 minutes of golf before the same commercials. If you can handle it without your brain internally combusting then you have my respect.

[RyderJ]

I loathe sitting through commercials...so I tend to agree with ut on this one.

[funkyfred72]

I have to agree. commercials are getting ridiculous.  But as for not being able to keep up with recording, it's not really that hard.  I guess I can say that because I have DrirecTV and if I forget to record something I just take out my phone and set it up.  Even when I couldn't do it on my phone it only took about 30 seconds to set up all 4 rounds to be recorded.  I'm sorry but I just don't see what the big fuss is about.

[allin]

I DVR golf occasionally, really haven't had a problem. I do wonder about the commercials? Without sports programming cable TV in the USA would be in serious trouble. The huge number of commercials may kill the golden goose. If everyone DVRs everything to avoid commercials or just quits watching then cable TV could well be crushed by internet and streaming programing. In a digitaL world with increasing streaming speeds the value of cable TV without sports programming is much less than current monthly charges. In metropoliton areas there are many broadcast channels with a broad range of programming which when supplemented by online content leave very little except live sports programming that is compelling.

[newtogolf]

I'd like to see sports go to the model used in regular programming where product placement is used more.  Overlay a product, logo or brand name in the corner of the screen where it won't affect the view of the event.  I'd even be okay if they shrank the viewing area a bit and ran commercials (without sound) on the bottom similar to how ESPN and others provide score and sports news updates.

Originally Posted by allin

I DVR golf occasionally, really haven't had a problem. I do wonder about the commercials? Without sports programming cable TV in the USA would be in serious trouble. The huge number of commercials may kill the golden goose. If everyone DVRs everything to avoid commercials or just quits watching then cable TV could well be crushed by internet and streaming programing. In a digitaL world with increasing streaming speeds the value of cable TV without sports programming is much less than current monthly charges. In metropoliton areas there are many broadcast channels with a broad range of programming which when supplemented by online content leave very little except live sports programming that is compelling.

[uttexas]

In metropoliton areas there are many broadcast channels with a broad range of programming which when supplemented by online content leave very little except live sports programming that is compelling.

Yes, the internet will eventually kill cable, just as it did Blockbuster. If you search hard enough, there are websites that stream HBO,showtime, live sports, etc. This past weekend, the UT vs Rice football game was only on the Longhorn Network (my cable company doesn't have a contract with LHN). However, I was able to find a live broadcast of the game on the internet. The ability to HDMI or VGA your computer to a large screen/projector/television enables family/group viewing. Cable/satellite TV is nearing the end.

[shades9323]

Except for those feed are generally crappy on a laptop let alone a big screen tv.  That is assuming you are talking about justin.tv, ustream, and the like.

Originally Posted by uttexas

Yes, the internet will eventually kill cable, just as it did Blockbuster. If you search hard enough, there are websites that stream HBO,showtime, live sports, etc. This past weekend, the UT vs Rice football game was only on the Longhorn Network (my cable company doesn't have a contract with LHN). However, I was able to find a live broadcast of the game on the internet. The ability to HDMI or VGA your computer to a large screen/projector/television enables family/group viewing. Cable/satellite TV is nearing the end.

[nevets88]

You have to think more than a majority are using laptops, tablets and smartphones while watching golf and I mute the commercials when they come on, or I blank out the screen and go to the laptop. I don't have a DVR, I cut the cord in 2006, although I could record the broadcast using my Mac, but I think that's a waste except for the majors.

One day, I hope we'll be able to follow anyone we want, without pauses between shots, without announcers and just a mic in the vicinity, with multiple viewing angles. Maybe I won't be around to see it, but it'll eventually come. If you have no breaks and just watched shots, you could watch a round in 30-40 minutes.