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.
The deal with Mr. Woods is the venture’s first announcement of additional content. Financial terms of the deal, announced Tuesday, weren’t disclosed. Discovery is exploring how to distribute the Tiger Woods content in the U.S., either on its own or in partnership with another media company.
“No one’s heard Tiger’s voice—it has been like a silent movie,” Discovery Chief Executive David Zaslav said in an interview. “Now Tiger’s voice will be heard around the world.”
He said Discovery is hoping to create a “Netflix for golf” with the forthcoming streaming service, aimed at passionate fans. The company hasn’t announced the price of a subscription to GolfTV.
The content revolving around Mr. Woods will include instructional videos, his preparation routines and access to him before and after he plays in tournaments.
“We see Tiger as a transformational figure—everywhere in the world, people know him,” Mr. Zaslav said.
He said Mr. Woods will be creative in how he relays his golf expertise, highlighting for viewers his approach when he needs to work on his putting game or how to work out of sand traps.
“We’re going to build content for everyone, whether you’ve been playing golf for a long time or just starting out,” Mr. Woods said in prepared remarks.
Mr. Woods has experimented with online formats of late. A much larger than expected audience tuned into a pay-per-view telecast of a match between him and Phil Mickelson the day after Thanksgiving. But the competition was beset by glitches in the online video stream, forcing AT&T Inc. and other television distributors to refund and credit customers who paid $19.99 to watch the event.
As more consumers give up their cable packages in favor of video streamed over the internet, media companies have been rushing to launch services to capture the demand. ESPN, Walt Disney Co. and Fox News are among the many outlets that have started or are in the process of creating streaming options.
The 42-year-old and 14-time Major Champion said he was excited for the new endeavor, which he hopes will generate enthusiasm for the game among a new, younger audience.
“Sharing my knowledge of the game through training videos is my way of giving back to people who share my love for the game, I want to talk to golf fans and golfers everywhere, directly, and straight from me,” Woods said.
“That’s important to me. Talking about what we care about: what’s happening on the course, how to play better, how can I shoot lower scores tomorrow, how can I beat my friends?”
“If I can help the next generation enjoy the game more and play better, that’s pretty special.”
The partnership with GOLFTV comes at an ideal time in Woods’ career.
After years of setbacks due to multiple back surgeries, the American had a comeback season this year that culminated with a win at the Tour Championship in September, his first PGA Tour win in five years and his 80th overall.
