The PGA of America And NBC Sports Group Reach Historic Agreement

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla., Oct. 10, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- In an unprecedented agreement, The PGA of America and NBC Sports Group today unveiled a historic partnership to further raise the profile of the Ryder Cup, the Senior PGA Championship presented by KitchenAid, and PGA Professionals across the networks of NBC and Golf Channel beginning in 2015. The partnership, which extends through 2030, and includes eight additional Ryder Cups on NBC, was announced today by PGA of America President Ted Bishop and CEO Pete Bevacqua, and NBC Sports Group Chairman Mark Lazarus. The agreement also includes all-language and simultaneous streaming rights for NBC's Ryder Cup coverage.

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The Ryder Cup, one of the most prestigious events in all of sports, has been televised by NBC since 1991. In 2012, the Ryder Cup was televised to nearly one-half billion households globally.

This agreement features a wave of 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.

With this agreement, the Senior PGA Championship presented by KitchenAid 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 relationship between The PGA of America and NBC Sports Group expands a powerful partnership that is designed to grow the game of golf and celebrate the PGA Professional by:

• Expanding the relationship of the Ryder Cup beyond the week of the biennial event
• Growing participation in the game of golf, especially with new golfers (both adult and youth)
• Elevating the stature of PGA Professionals in their leadership role of growing the game

This agreement will showcase the important role that PGA Professionals serve in instruction, equipment selection and Rules knowledge, all of which will benefit golf fans and golfers. New instructional programming and original series will be developed in conjunction with the PGA of America featuring PGA Professionals. Host PGA Professionals also will be featured during Golf Channel's weekly coverage of PGA Tour, Champions Tour and LPGA Tour events.

"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 also 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," said 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 PGA of America has partnered with Golf Channel since the network's founding in 1995, to promote the expertise of PGA Professionals, including shows featuring top PGA instructors, such as Michael Breed and Martin Hall. This expanded agreement provides an avenue for Golf Channel to extend its reach through innovative new programming and events.

The partnership also will include a series of historical highlights of The PGA of America, which will be produced in conjunction with The PGA's Centennial Celebration in 2016.

The PGA of America was advised by Evolution Media Capital, a leading sports and media investment bank.

About The PGA of America

Since its founding in 1916, The PGA of America has maintained a twofold mission: to establish and elevate the standards of the profession and to grow interest and participation in the game of golf. By establishing and elevating the standards of the golf profession through world-class education, career services, marketing and research programs, The PGA enables its professionals to maximize their performance in their respective career paths and showcases them as experts in the game and in the multi-billion dollar golf industry. By creating and delivering world-class championships and innovative programs, The PGA of America elevates the public's interest in the game, the desire to play more golf, and ensures accessibility to the game for everyone, everywhere. As The PGA nears its centennial, the PGA brand represents the very best in golf.

About NBC Sports Group

When the Comcast-NBCUniversal transaction was completed in January 2011, the sports assets of the two companies combined to form NBC Sports Group, which serves sports fans 24/7 with premier live events, insightful studio shows, and compelling original programming. The sports media company consists of a unique array of broadcast television, cable television, radio and digital sports assets, including NBC Sports, NBC Olympics, NBC Sports Network, Golf Channel, 11 NBC Sports Regional Networks, two regional news networks, NBC Sports Radio and all of their respective digital properties. NBC Sports Group possesses an unparalleled collection of television rights agreements, partnering with some of the most prestigious sports properties in the world: the International Olympic Committee and United States Olympic Committee, the NFL, NHL, NASCAR, PGA Tour, The PGA of America, USGA, Churchill Downs, Premier League, MLS, Tour de France, French Open, Formula One, IndyCar and many more.

About Golf Channel

Golf Channel is a multimedia, golf entertainment and services company based in Orlando, Fla.  Golf Channel, co-founded by Arnold Palmer in 1995, and now part of the NBC Sports Group, is available in more than 120 million homes and 83 countries worldwide. Exclusive partnerships with the world's top tours allow Golf Channel to feature more live golf coverage than all other networks combined, as well as a programming schedule distinguished by golf's highest-quality news, instruction and original programming. Customers of participating cable, satellite, telco and other video subscription services are able to enjoy 24/7 streaming of live Golf Channel content through GolfChannel.com and Golf Channel's mobile application, Golf Live Extra. Golf Channel's digital platforms are the leading golf destinations on the Internet, delivering unmatched coverage of the world of golf, as well as services that connect the world to golf.

SOURCE PGA of America