More than 160 hours of tournament coverage on NBC from golf’s worldwide professional tours, most for any broadcast network; Golf Channel and NBC combine to air more than 2,200 live tournament hours in 2018, the most ever; Live coverage highlighted by PGA Tour, The Players, The Open, FedExCup Playoffs, Ryder Cup, 3 women’s majors and 2 senior majors
ORLANDO, Fla. (Feb. 27, 2018) – NBC Sports Group kicks off its broadcast coverage of the 2018 golf season this week on NBC at the WGC-Mexico Championship. The most-comprehensive slate for any broadcast network, NBC’s coverage in 2018 will feature more than 160 tournament hours across golf’s worldwide professional tours. In total, Golf Channel and NBC will combine to air more than 2,200 live tournament hours in 2018, the most hours of live golf coverage for any media company ever.
NBC Sports’ 2018 golf season will feature network coverage of 22 events from around the world, highlighted by THE PLAYERS Championship, The Open, the final three events of the FedExCup Playoffs, the biennial Ryder Cup, three women’s majors and two senior majors. Golf Channel will complement coverage with early-round tournament and wraparound news coverage.
NBC SPORTS GROUP KICKS OFF FIVE WEEKS OF EXCLUSIVE PGA TOUR COVERAGE
Coming on the heels of the 2018 Winter Olympic Games in PyeongChang, South Korea, this week NBC Sports Group begins a stretch of five consecutive weeks of exclusive PGA TOUR tournament coverage, comprised of six events, leading up to the Masters (April 5-8). Beginning Thursday, Golf Channel will air live coverage of the World Golf Championships-Mexico Championship, with NBC Sports continuing with live coverage on Saturday and Sunday. The PGA TOUR then will move to Florida for two weeks for the Valspar Championship (March 8-11) and the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard, (March 15-18), followed by two weeks in Texas at the WGC-Dell Match Play Championship in Austin, (Wednesday-Sunday, March 21-25) and the Houston Open (March 29-April 1). The Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship in the Dominican Republic (March 22-25) will air on Golf Channel the same week as the WGC-Dell Match Play Championship, with current CBS Sports NFL analyst and former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo making his PGA TOUR debut on a sponsor’s exemption.
NBC SPORTS TO BROADCAST SIX MAJOR CHAMPIONSHIPS IN 2018
NBC Sports will air live coverage of six golf major championships in 2018, including the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship (May 24-27); KPMG Women’s PGA Championship (June 28-July 1); The 147th Open (July 19-22); The Senior Open (July 26-29); The Ricoh Women’s British Open (Aug 2-5); and The Evian Championship (Sept. 13-16).
DEEPEST BENCH OF GOLF VOICES IN NETWORK TELEVISION
NBC Sports’ 2018 tournament broadcast team includes the deepest bench of golf voices in network television, featuring analysts who have secured 235 professional victories, 14 major championships and include four Hall-of-Famers. The 2018 broadcast team includes:
• Analysts: Notah Begay, Billy Ray Brown, Curt Byrum, Kay Cockerill, John Cook, David Duval, Nick Faldo, David Feherty, Jerry Foltz, Peter Jacobsen, Gary Koch, Justin Leonard, Jim “Bones” Mackay, Roger Maltbie, Johnny Miller, Frank Nobilo, Judy Rankin, Mark Rolfing, Charlie Rymer, Karen Stupples and Lanny Wadkins.
• Hosts/Reporters: Tom Abbott, Steve Burkowski, Heather Cox, Terry Gannon, Dan Hicks, Rich Lerner, Todd Lewis, Jimmy Roberts, Steve Sands, George Savaricas and Mike Tirico
WGC-MEXICO CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM: Steve Sands and former World No. 1 David Duval will anchor Golf Channel’s Thursday and Friday coverage from the broadcast booth, along with early coverage on the weekend leading into NBC’s coverage. Dan Hicks and Peter Jacobsen will anchor NBC’s weekend coverage. They will be joined by Gary Koch and David Feherty reporting from on-course towers, with Notah Begay, Jim “Bones” Mackay and Roger Maltbie reporting from the course. Todd Lewis will conduct pre-and post-round interviews for Golf Channel, with Sands conducting interviews for NBC on the weekend.
FOLLOW COVERAGE ON GOLF CHANNEL & NBC FOR CHANCE TO WIN $1 MILLION
Complementing NBC Sports’ exclusive coverage of the PGA TOUR over the next four weeks, Golf Channel has partnered with FanBeat (a real-time sports gaming app) and Callaway to elevate the second-screen experience for fans tuning in. Using a computer or mobile device, fans will have an opportunity to take part in Callaway’s $1 Million FanBeat Challenge presented by Golf Channel for a chance to win $1 million and other prizes from Callaway by answering trivia and predictive-play questions during live tournament coverage. For more information, visit www.golfchannel.com/fanbeatchallenge
**NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Void where prohibited. Legal residents of the 50 US or DC who are 18 or older. Begins February 27, 2018 at 12:01 A.M. ET and ends March 25, 2018 at 11:59 P.M. ET. Limit 1 entry per person. To enter, and for Official Rules, odds, and prize details, visit www.golfchannel.com/fanbeatchallenge Sponsor: FanBeat, Inc. The $1 Million Grand Prize may be awarded in an annuity or lesser lump sum. Should there be multiple winners, the Grand Prize will be divided evenly among qualifying winners.
NBC SPORTS GROUP MARCH AIRTIMES (Eastern):
WGC-Mexico Championship (March 1-4)
Club de Golf Chapultepec, Mexico City, Mexico
Thursday
2-7 p.m.
Golf Channel
Friday
2-7 p.m.
Golf Channel
Saturday
Noon-3 p.m.
Golf Channel
3-6 p.m.
NBC
Sunday
Noon-2 p.m.
Golf Channel
2-6 p.m.
NBC
Valspar Championship (March 8-11)
Innisbrook Resort (Copperhead Course), Palm Harbor, Fla.
Thursday
2-6 p.m.
Golf Channel
Friday
2-6 p.m.
Golf Channel
Saturday
1-3 p.m.
Golf Channel
3-6 p.m.
NBC
Sunday
1-3 p.m.
Golf Channel
3-6 p.m.
NBC
Arnold Palmer Invitational (March 15-18)
Bay Hill Club & Lodge, Orlando, Fla.
Thursday
2-6 p.m.
Golf Channel
Friday
2-6 p.m.
Golf Channel
Saturday
12:30-2:30 p.m.
Golf Channel
2:30-6 p.m.
NBC
Sunday
12:30-2 p.m.
Golf Channel
2:30-6:30 p.m.
NBC
WGC-Dell Match Play (March 21-25)
Austin Country Club, Austin, Texas
Wednesday
2-8 p.m.
Golf Channel
Thursday
2-8 p.m.
Golf Channel
Friday
2-8 p.m.
Golf Channel
Saturday
10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Golf Channel
2-6 p.m.
NBC
Sunday
10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Golf Channel
3-7 p.m.
NBC
Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship (March 22-25)
Corales Golf Club, Puntacana, Dominican Republic
Thursday
10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
Golf Channel
Friday
10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
Golf Channel
Saturday
2-5 p.m.
Golf Channel
Sunday
2-5 p.m.
Golf Channel
Houston Open (March 29-April 1)
Golf Club of Houston, Humble, Texas
Thursday
4-7 p.m.
Golf Channel
Friday
4-7 p.m.
Golf Channel
Saturday
2-3 p.m.
Golf Channel
3-6 p.m.
NBC
Sunday
2-3 p.m.
Golf Channel
3-6 p.m.
NBC
Contact:
Jeremy Friedman
Golf Channel Communications
407-355-4058
Jeremy.Friedman@golfchannel.com
Jeff Szklinski
Golf Channel Communications
407-248-3267
Jeff.Szklinski@golfchannel.com
