Discovery & PGA Tour Team Up for International Golf Service

Discovery and the PGA Tour have aligned to create a new international multiplatform home for golf.

The first-of-its-kind, 12-year relationship is set to begin in 2019 and carry through 2030. The partnership includes global multiplatform live rights, outside the U.S., to all PGA Tour media properties, totaling around 2,000 hours of content per year. This encompasses the six Tours operating under the PGA Tour umbrella and nearly 150 tournaments annually, including The Players Championship, the FedExCup Playoffs and the Presidents Cup.

Discovery will broadcast the PGA Tour on its portfolio of pay-TV and free-to-air channels, digital and short-form platforms, and will work with the PGA Tour on how to capture all access to the action and its extensive non-live and library rights for all media platforms.

In addition to live linear rights in 220 markets and territories, the alliance will include the creation of a dedicated, PGA Tour-branded, OTT video streaming service.

Discovery expects to invest more than $2 billion over the course of the alliance.

David Zaslav, the president and CEO of Discovery, said: “Today is a fantastic day for golf fans around the world as Discovery proudly partners with the PGA Tour to create something that has never been done before. The long-term partnership between the PGA Tour and Discovery will create the new global Home of Golf, including delivering over 2000 hours of live content year-round and this prestigious sport’s greatest moments, stories and athletes. Following our successful first Olympic Games in PyeongChang, Discovery will contribute its strong global distribution and promotional infrastructure, in-market relationships, global sports expertise with direct-to-consumer platforms and brands to create a valuable new long-term ‘home of golf’ offering in every market outside the U.S.”

Jay Monahan, commissioner for PGA Tour, said: “This is an exciting next step for the PGA Tour, which presents a tremendous opportunity to accelerate and expand our media business outside the United States, better service our international broadcast partners, and drive fan growth with a deeply experienced strategic global partner. This partnership aligns very well with the opening of PGA Tour offices in London, Tokyo and Beijing in recent years and will support our long-term objectives of growing the game of golf. It also will deliver more value to our sponsors as it presents a tremendous opportunity to engage new and diverse audiences around the world.”