Tour's TV Bubble Bursting?
Tuesday, October 19, 2004 at 10:23 AM The big story of 2005 is already starting to appear in the big publications. Ron Sirak in Golf World looks at the forthcoming PGA Tour’s TV negotiations and has some interesting comments from a network executive, who does not seem to be establishing a better negotiating position, but is instead simply stating the truth.
"Golf is going the way of the other sports where the economics are skewed and completely messed up simply because athletes make too much money," said the network executive. "That's why an NBA ticket costs so much money and why taking a family of four to a baseball game costs $200. Because the players make too much.
"You've got to ask yourself, 'Why are we doing this if we are not making money?' Say they play for a $3.8 million purse as opposed to a $5.1 million purse. Big deal. Is that going to affect their lives all that much?"
Meanwhile SI’s Gary Van Sickle offers an array of thoughts in his weekly column,
with comments about the Tour likely inviting a lawsuit if they go
through with their no-carts policy in 2005, and his own take on the
next TV deal, which he predicts will result in less network presence
and maybe even one of the nets dropping out altogether.
PGA Tour