The Canadian networks announced new PGA television contracts this week.
From the Globe & Mail October 13, 2006
The Canadian networks announced new PGA television contracts this week.
TSN won a few and lost some. Global Television increased the number of tournaments it will air on the weekends.
But the prize was the prestigious Presidents Cup, which next September will be at the Royal Montreal Golf Club. That event went to TSN.
The Presidents Cup, held every two years, is a match-play tournament between U.S. players and the rest of the world, excluding Europe. That adds up to star power.
“Arguably this will be the best field ever in Canada for PGA players,” TSN president Phil King said. “You’ve got Tiger Woods, of course. On the international side there’s Ernie Els and Vijay Singh, the players from Australia, and Mike Weir. I can’t think of a Canadian Open that’s had a field like that.”
The CBC was among the bidders for the tournament.
But TSN also took some hits in the new PGA agreements.
It no longer owns the Thursday and Friday telecasts of the weekly PGA events. They now belong to The Golf Channel.
And weekend rights to the Canadian Open, starting in 2007 at Angus Glen in Markham, Ont., will be the property of Global. The weekend rounds were previously aired by TSN’s parent network, CTV.
Although TSN will pick up the first two rounds of the Open, there will be no domestic coverage. TSN will simulcast The Golf Channel’s telecasts. Global will use the CBS weekend broadcast.
The Presidents Cup telecast will be a PGA International production, but King says TSN will provide on-site reporting and additional programming built around the tournament.
The TSN and Global deals are four years in length and will run through 2010.
Highlights:
TSN continues to own the rights, rounds one to four, of three of the four majors: British Open, U.S. Open and PGA Championship. It will also air the first two rounds of the Masters.
Global will continue to carry the final two rounds of the Masters, using the CBS telecasts.
In addition to the Presidents Cup, the Ryder Cup is the property of TSN. The network’s PGA content also will include the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am in February, the World Golf Championships: CA Championship in March, and the Grand Slam of Golf in November.
TSN’s French language channel, RDS, will provide full coverage of the Presidents Cup.
Global picked up the Players Championship, previously carried by TSN. The tournament has been moved to May, which caused a conflict for TSN because of National Hockey League playoff coverage.
Global’s PGA Tour content has been increased by five tournaments to 26.
NBC has secured the rights to continue coverage of The Presidents Cup through the 2011 event.
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