TURNER LOSES $10 MILLION IN REFUNDS, BUT STILL REPORTS THE MATCH WAS A SUCCESS!
Despite technical glitches that forced AT&T to stream the high profile golf contest between two great legends, Tiger and Phil, last Friday for free, it’s being said that the event far exceeded the company’s expectations.
In an interview with the Sports Business Journal, Turner president David Levy said there were nearly a million signups for the “The Match.” But the glitch that made the pay-per-view event free to watch potentially cost Turner a $10-million total, according to SBJ.
“Despite the loss of subscriber revenue, based on early indications, total audience for the match far surpassed expectations across all of our platforms,” Mr. Levy said. “Certainly the refunds are going to impact our revenue stream, for sure, but I’m taking a long-term view as we build upon the business model.”
TIGER WOODS SIGNS EXCLUSIVE DEAL FOR STREAMING SERVICES…
COMING TO YOUR LIVING ROOM NEXT YEAR!
Tiger Woods has signed an exclusive deal to develop programming for the forthcoming golf streaming service The PGA Tour and pay TV operator Discovery Inc. are launching on January 1, 2019. The sports legend is sure to lure subscribers.
The celebrated golfer has signed a multiyear agreement to create a range of programming and content on GolfTV, the live and on-demand streaming service Discovery and the tour plan to launch in January.
GolfTV will feature 2,000 hours of live programming each year that will include weekly golf instructional videos, about 150 tournaments annually as well as give fans a glimpse into his life on the PGA Tour. The service will be offered in markets around the world, except for the U.S.
The live and on-demand video streaming service will collaborate with Woods on a wide range of programming to offer fans an authentic look into the life, mind and performance of one of the game’s all-time greats, the network said. To read the entire article, click here.
OVER THE MOON: PGA ANNOUNCES NEW TOURNAMENT IN JAPAN
TOKYO — The PGA Tour will hold its first official tournament in Japan. And the main sponsor of next year’s event, Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa, is describing it as a kind of “moonshot” for golf in his country.
Maezawa was announced earlier this year as the first commercial passenger to attempt a flight around the moon. “I think this will be the first PGA Tour sponsor that is going to the moon,” he said.
“I haven’t decided who I will take to the moon with me yet. I would like to talk to many people with an open mind.”
Japanese golfer Hideki Matsuyama was sitting alongside Maezawa during the media event at a central Tokyo hotel. “I don’t know whether he will ask me, but I would love to go [to the moon],” Matsuyama said.
The tournament, set for Oct. 24-27, will be part of the PGA’s swing through Asia along with stops in South Korea and China.
The PGA Tour said it was a six-year deal, driven partly by the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and golf’s high profile there.
PGA Tour officials said the Zozo Championship will have a purse of $9.75 million with a field of 78 — plus 10 designated by the Japanese Tour and eight others with special exemptions. It will be played at the Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club in Chiba prefecture, just outside Tokyo.
HALL OF FAME SELECTION CRITISISM
The Hall recently announced the five new members of the class of 2019, a group that includes twice U.S. Open winner Retief Goosen and former Masters chairman Billy Payne.
In an interview with Reuters, World Golf Hall of Fame Chief Executive Steve Mona, defended the organizations selection process despite complaints over who has and has not been inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame as some of the sports best players have yet to be inducted.
Mona told Reuters the selection process was good and that the lack of “black and white” criteria is a positive. “The process is superior to what we had previously,” he said.
Inductions into the Hall of Fame occur every other year, and only five people can be inducted at a time. Under a selection process revamped four years ago, a nominee needs at least 75 percent (previously 50%) of the vote from the selection commission. The Class of 2019 will be inducted in Pebble Beach, CA on June 10, 2019, the week of the men’s U.S. Open Champsionship.
5 CELL PHONE COMMANDMENTS
1. Don’t talk on the phone
No one wants to see you yip, and no one wants to hear you yap. Switch your cell phone to silent. It’s just that simple. The first rule of the cell phone is you don’t talk on the cell phone.
2. Abide by local rules
Some places allow for cell phone yakking in the parking lot or clubhouse and others are open to calls on the course. Keep the conversations as brief and quiet as possible and know the policies where you’re golfing!
3. The fine print on texts and emails
Just because they’re less disruptive than phone calls doesn’t mean you’re free to send them flagrantly.
4. Instagram? Make it a Latergram
Unless you’ve got live footage of a hole-in-one or a giant gator eating your opponent, the post can wait till after your round
5. Low Battery Alert
Bring a plug for charging your phone as many carts now have built-in adapters. Nothing’s worse then listening to a dying phone!
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