With golf ratings swelling this season and the emergence of stars such as Jordan Spieth, Turner Sports and CBS Sports are looking to keep the trend moving upward with coverage of the 97th PGA Championship starting this week. The tournament tees off on TNT starting Thursday at 2p. Meanwhile, PGA.com, which is managed by Turner Sports, is set to boost its streaming offerings via PGA Championship LIVE, presented by Mercedes-Benz. This year’s platform will offer social content and new interactive features that include shot-by-shot laser-generated data for the marquee group as well as an alternative live leaderboard displaying players on the course by group. Fans will also be able to view simulcast broadcast coverage of the tournament via PGA.com while the PGA Championship TV App – designed for select Samsung Smart TV platforms – will once again offer “All-Access” PGA Championship content including live Marquee Group, and Par-3 coverage, new 4K All-Access Video On-Demand, live scoring, player info, social discussion, and photo galleries.
Cynopsis Sports asked Gary Treater, GM of PGA.com & Sr. Director of Business Operations at Turner Sports, about the goodies in store and how technology is transforming how audiences are interacting with the game.
Treater on audience growth: We have seen similar trends emerge on the digital side with golf sites experiencing solid traffic growth, in part due to the great play and popularity of many of the young stars like Rory Mcllroy, Rickie Fowler and Jordan Speith winning the first two majors of the year. And there continues to be tremendous interest in Tiger Woods and how he is working through his comeback.
For PGA.com, which Turner Sports manages for the PGA of America, we have seen a record number of users visit the site this year and they are spending more time and therefore consuming more content. One reason for our growth is that we present a holistic view of the game of golf so both fans and golf enthusiasts find it to be a useful destination. Fans receive all of the latest on the Tours and their favorite players and golfers can find information for their personal game, whether it’s instruction from top PGA professionals, reviews of the newest equipment and gear, or tips on how to plan their next golf vacation.
On what fans can expect: PGA.com has always strived to present the fan with a very immersive and interactive digital experience for all PGA of America events. This year at the 2015 PGA Championship we are taking it to the next level, both adding new features and products for viewers worldwide and significant enhancements for spectators at the course. Technology certainly plays a key role in enabling us to deliver new and innovative products and features to enhance that fan experience. This year, we are introducing a number of upgrades to our Marquee Group coverage including the use of more data to graphically enhance the experience, along with new leaderboard features. From a production standpoint, we are also using Drone cameras, SwingVision, ProTracer and Golftrax to enhance the storytelling surrounding the Marquee Group coverage.
We’re also aligned with the PGA on creating the best fan friendly experience for those attending this year’s event. The PGA of America has always been very progressive, being the first to allow phones at a major championship, and this year will include the largest free Wi-Fi network ever for the event. We’re also introducing a new “Binoculars” feature within the PGA Championship App that uses Smart Bluetooth Beacon technology to allow fans to more easily identify players on the course that are in close proximity to them. Additionally, for fans following the action from a particular on-course location – such as a grandstand or hospitality area – our PGA Championship App and mobile website will keep them updated with “Minute-by-Minute” real-time updates capturing the latest event coverage as storylines as they unfold.
On activations: We are working closely with Twitter to deliver an exciting video execution called PGA Championship Real-Time Highlights presented by Chase Sapphire. From Thursday through Sunday, @PGA.com will be tweeting out the best highlights each day. These short, snackable videos will play in Twitter’s native video player, with Chase pre-roll, branded hashtag and “promoted by” attribution. It’s a unique example of how we can create great content, deliver it in an efficient way and intelligently integrate sponsorship. It’s a winner for the fan, event, social platform and advertiser.
On the keys to a successful user experience: We have a great sense of collaboration at Turner Sports and seek every opportunity to benefit from everyone’s experiences. With leading products like NBA League Pass, March Madness Live and PGA Championship Live, we have an abundance of analytics and evolving best practices. We work as a collective group to provide the best product for our fans and the key learnings and proven performance we have in the encoding and streaming space give us the opportunity to be innovative – as with the 4K VOD offering the PGA Championship TV App for Samsung TVs for this year’s PGA Championship.
