"How do we build the platform together?"

SI's Alan Shipnuck pens a long (and I mean long!) feature on The Golf Channel Golf Channel and how it's really all things wonderful. So touching to see how fatherhood has mellowed Alan to the point he can listen to Jerry Foltz drone on and not want to scream like Howard Beale.

Well, we learn that Nick Faldo and Kelly Tilghman engaged in carefully conceived exercises (they hiked, they surfed!). And we learn that when you combine the ratings of all the telecasts the numbers are actually up, which still doesn't settle the Sportscenter issue that was the heart of those begging for some ESPN involvement. And we learn that a 15-year deal was necessary because, as Tim Finchem asks inanely rhetorically, "How do we build the platform together?"

Oy.

I did love this from Dave Manougian, who apparently bamboozled the PGA Tour's army of VP's with this logic:

"I'm not sure if there's much difference between 15 years or 12 or 10," says Manougian. "To increase our distribution, we obviously needed a long-term commitment from the Tour, but quite honestly, once you get past six or eight years you sort of say, Well, we might as well go for it now!"

One revealing quote comes from Joe Ogilvie:

"There's no question all of us benefit as the channel grows," says Ogilvie. "There are kickers in the contract to guarantee that. I think players are slowly starting to realize we're married to the channel, so to speak. It's in our best interests to help it succeed."

And isn't this precisely the danger?

That the PGA Tour becomes a soft core version of the Big Break, with the separation of media and player turning each telecast into an infomercial?

Or is an infomercial-like brand plugfest just what today's America finds most comforting?

Oh please thoughtful readers, chime in.

Comments

[F. X.]

Geoff, please, spare me, no, nobody likes infomercial like coverage of golf. Among my buddies golf channel watching is way down -- the edge is gone. I think what happened is that the Peter Kessler firing showed TGC was not about journalism, it was about advertising. Ultimately they are going to fail with this content. It's really a shame because an authentic 'golf' channel would not only attract eyeballs it would help build the game.

[Wayne]

Golf channel coverage has become unwatchable. Last week just as Mike Weir struck a putt, a logo flashed up for the (insert corporation) post-game show that covered the hole. The logo was not removed until after the putt missed the hole. Also, a player (I forget who) was hitting from the bunker and the announcers mentioned that how much sand he took would be crucial to the shot. But just as he swung that same logo jumped up and covered the ball so we could not see impact. This is happening frequently and it's ruining their coverage.

[Smitty]

Somewhere Peter Kessler is trying to stifle himself . . .

[Eye On Golf]

Fact is it doesn't matter. Many, many, many,many...golf fans don't even receive TGC. But Finchem thinks they do.

And the PGA Tour is just plodding along. Aside from the five majors, who watches?

[kerry]

At least with ESPN they had access to potential growth. Young people could "discover" golf as a spectator sport as the watched ESPN. Now what?
Consider what this move will do to the very important highlights package on Sportscenter. Lucky if the Tour gets 20 seconds per show outside the Majors.
How will golf generate new interest?
They can data-mine all they want to justify their decision. They made it more difficult for fans to find and watch golf. The fans will treat them accordingly. I have.

[Taylor]

I can't even remember to set my TiVo to record the early round coverage of tournaments I don't really care about on courses that aren't the least bit intriguing on a channel where every other word seems to be a sponsor.

[the village idiot]

Think the golf channel buys any advertising in SI?

[Lip Out]

I agree with a previous post about the Golf Channel losing its edge. Some of the "talent" on that station seem to have permanent grins attached to their faces.

And could "The Approach" be any more unwatchable? I realize they're trying to create a golf version of PTI, but how about getting somebody on there with an actual personality? Holy moly!

[Lynn S.]

In the article they talk about the ratings increase because they show the telecast twice, and double the numbers. If this is so brilliant, why don't they show the telecast 3 times and triple the ratings.
If you Tivo Golf Central or one of their telecasts, golf shots (not putts) are shown about 5% of the air time. It has become the Talking Heads Golf Channel. I am a golfer, I want to see golf shots. One of their best shows is following seniors describle their game as they play. It is the only time I have found Hale Irwin engaging.

[Smolmania]

I've been cable free for almost a year now (June 15 is my anniversary). I don't miss watching golf on tv.

[Connectict Golfer]

Come on. This is all about Kelly Tilghman. She's on, she's off. They didn't want to spend the money on talent, so they did it on the cheap. She doesn't have the gravitas to carry it off after five months and everyone knows it. She really took a vacation with the tour's biggest names at Doral. Whose kidding who? Tiger had only played once in the three weeks prior. Come on, the story was Phil vs. Tiger and a WGC event and she's on vacation. By the way, no one on TGC mentioned it.

Some of the events the networks handled hardy had any of the TGC talent even on board. Whether the Tour has an ownership in TGC isn't really the question. They were never going to get their way with ESPN and USA. To TGC's credit, they sowed the seeds with the Champions and Nationwide Tours, so you have to give them credit for that.

In the end, the criticism that not being on ESPN hurts the game's future is a false one. The game really isn't bigger in participation than it was 10 years ago. Young people do not have enough access to the game and in the end, they aren't staying in after they get introduced to it. Check out the NGF numbers.

TGC made a smart business deal. The advertising dollars will be bigger. The sad part is the product is woefully worse when TGC is covering the Tour on its own.

[Kerry]

Conn Golfer,
ESPN is not about participation, its about the additonal casual viewers. Their is a significant percentage of golf viewers who do not play. Not having golf on ESPN is taking golf further from the mainsteam media. I do not see long term how that helps them find new viewers. Participation is another matter.
I agree with you its a great deal for TGC. But its not a good deal for the fans.