The PGA TOUR and Turner Sports New Media announced Monday that PGATOUR.com, the exclusive online destination for LIVE@ and real-time scoring, will roll out an enhanced three-channel broadband player for the popular LIVE@ franchise, giving fans unprecedented broadband video access to spectacular signature par-3 holes from some of the most scenic golf courses and tournaments.
LIVE@ coverage, now powered by CNN Pipeline technology, will begin Feb. 8 – 11 with approximately 35 hours of live, broadcast-quality coverage of the famous par-3 7th hole at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, from Pebble Beach Golf Links in California.
"PGATOUR.com is excited to allow our fans to view the spectacular imagery and championship play on this famous par 3 hole at Pebble Beach," said Ed Moorhouse, co-chief operating officer for the PGA TOUR. "This is a great supplement to the world-class coverage of the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am that will be provided by CBS Sports and GOLF CHANNEL. We are happy to provide our fans the opportunity to watch this special coverage on PGATOUR.com as a complement to our television tournament coverage."
The LIVE@ series is scheduled to cover 10 or more tournaments, including the eighth annual broadcast of LIVE@17 from THE PLAYERS Championship, the PGA of America’s 2007 PGA Championship, and all four events in the first-ever PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup.
As an enhanced feature of the LIVE@ series, viewers will have the ability to select from three distinct video streams, each showcasing a different aspect of tournament coverage. The first video stream (Pipe No. 1) brings PGATOUR.com visitors up close to every shot by every player at the tournament’s signature par-3 hole. The second stream (Pipe No. 2), Inside the Ropes, will give visitors front-row seats to tournament press conferences as well as course flyovers, tournament highlights, player profiles and pre-recorded content. TNT golf announcers Billy Kratzert and Jim Huber, as well as PGATOUR.com contributor Brian Katrek will guide viewers through the action on Pipe 1 & 2. The final video stream (Pipe No. 3) will spotlight the PGA Learning Center and provide exclusive tips from PGA of America teaching professionals and many of the sport’s top names.
"As broadband networks become more mainstream, we will look to explore any and all opportunities through our new partnership with the PGA TOUR to promote their product. And with the competition for the FedExCup highlighting the PGA TOUR this year, we thought this was the perfect time to enhance the LIVE@ series on PGATOUR.com," said Lenny Daniels, senior vice president, Turner Sports New Media. "Considering that the site is the exclusive provider of live PGA TOUR coverage online, we expect that the enhanced LIVE@ feature will be a premium option for golf viewing. Whether golf fans are at home, at work or on their laptops at the airport, they can log on for live action."
"We’re looking forward to expanding the way PGATOUR.com brings fans live competition coverage, and the LIVE@ series has always been a fan favorite. In 2006, LIVE@17 from THE PLAYERS Championship on PGATOUR.com garnered more than 500,000 streams in two days of competition," said Paul Johnson, PGA TOUR Senior Vice President of New Media. "By expanding to all four competition days, we are sure fans will enjoy this exclusive presentation— they won’t miss a shot."
PGATOUR.com has been a leader in live on-line tournament coverage beginning in 2000 with the first Live@ 17 broadcast from THE PLAYERS. Turner Sports first introduced its CNN Powered Pipeline broadband player for online golf coverage in 2006 with the PGA.com Pipeline for the 2006 PGA Championship. The PGA.com Pipeline debut generated a single day traffic record of 11 million page views and over 412,000 unique users for the first round of coverage on the Turner managed site. The LIVE@ series, which is ad-supported and offered free of charge, is co-produced by the PGA TOUR and Turner Sports New Media.
Contact:
John Kim
Coordinating Producer | Turner Sports New Media
PGA.com | PGATOUR.com
john.kim@turner.com
(404) 827-5035