Golf Channel Ties Most-Watched Year Ever for Total Audience Delivery

In 2019, NBC Sports Group to Deliver 2,334 Total Hours of Tournament Coverage Spanning Men’s and Women’s Professional Tours, Most Ever for a Media Company

(ORLANDO, Fla.) – In 2018, NBC Sports Group’s golf coverage reached new heights, highlighted by Golf Channel tying its Most-Watched Year Ever for Total Audience Delivery (TAD), drawing a total day audience of 108,000 viewers per minute (Mon-Sun, 24-hours) across linear and streaming with an increase of 7% vs. 2017. The 2018 TAD tied 2013 viewership, when Tiger Woods was Player of the Year and won five PGA TOUR events. Other year-end highlights include:

· NBC delivered its most-watched PGA TOUR season in 12 years (3.66 million viewers per minute), up 54% vs. comparable coverage in 2017 and +66% for Persons 25-54.
· Golf Channel’s live PGA TOUR coverage in 2018 was its most-watched ever, up 22% vs. 2017 with average viewers, up 29% with Persons 25-54.
· Across NBC Sports’ golf coverage, 77 million unique viewers watched Golf Channel or NBC in 2018, +4% vs. 2017.
· Golf Channel was the No. 1 single-sport network for six months of 2018, and ranked amongst the top-two for all of 2018.
· Golf Channel’s total day delivery exceeded 100,000 average viewers for the third consecutive year, a first in the network’s 24-year history. Golf Channel has posted its eight best viewership years since joining NBC Sports Group in 2011.
· Golf Channel delivered the most-affluent primetime audience in television and is ranked second for most-affluent total day audience in television.
· Golf Central delivered its most-watched year ever, up 15% vs. 2017 and up 8% vs. 2013, the previous best year.
· Golf Channel set best year ever marks for all key digital metrics in 2018, including minutes streamed, video starts, page views, and monthly unique visitors.

“In 2018, Tiger Woods’ return provided a surge for the sport of golf. And 2019 will be exciting as the generation of young PGA TOUR stars who grew up idolizing golf’s biggest star can now test their games against Tiger’s,” said Mike McCarley, president, Golf, NBC Sports. “As we turn to 2019, innovations like the new, optimized golf calendar; tech and graphic production enhancements; and more options with PGA TOUR LIVE on NBC Sports Gold will all better serve fans.”

NBC SPORTS’ GOLF COVERAGE: MOST LIVE HOURS EVER, ANYWHERE
NBC Sports Group kicks off the 2019 calendar year with the most live tournament hours of golf coverage ever for any media company (2,334 hours). This record-setting slate begins today with Golf Channel’s coverage of the PGA TOUR’s Sentry Tournament of Champions, airing live in primetime from Maui (6-10 p.m. ET Thursday and Friday). Additionally, the Sentry Tournament of Champions will have NBC broadcast coverage this Saturday from 4-6 p.m. ET.
· Golf coverage on NBC includes 24 tournaments in 2019, highlighted by THE PLAYERS return to March, The 148TH Open in July, the final two events of the FedExCup Playoffs (now in August), the Presidents Cup from Australia in December, two women’s major championships, two senior major championships and the final round of the inaugural Augusta National Women’s Amateur.
· Golf Channel is scheduled to air a combined 3,511 hours of live news and tournament coverage in 2019, the most in the network’s 24-year history.

PGA TOUR LIVE LAUNCHES ON NBC SPORTS GOLD
The PGA TOUR and NBC Sports Group announced that PGA TOUR LIVE, the PGA TOUR’s direct-to-consumer subscription video service that live streams extensive Featured Groups coverage of the best golfers in the world, has been enhanced and is now available for purchase in the United States on NBC Sports Gold, NBC Sports Group’s direct-to-consumer live streaming product. Kicking off at the Desert Classic (Jan. 17-20), PGA TOUR LIVE will present the most robust service in its history, now with four days of live coverage from 27 PGA TOUR events, new “Speed Round” recaps for Featured Groups players, expansive VOD content, and integrated scoring and statistics.

JOHNNY MILLER RETIRING AT WASTE MANAGEMENT PHOENIX OPEN
On the eve of 30 years as NBC Sports’ lead golf analyst, Johnny Miller will make his final 18th tower call at the 2019 Waste Management Phoenix Open (Jan. 31-Feb. 3). Miller was named lead analyst of NBC Sports’ golf broadcast team in 1990 and quickly made his mark as the game’s most candid commentator, calling some of golf’s most memorable shots across the past three decades. Garnering eight Emmy nominations for “Outstanding Sports Personality – Sports Event Analyst,” Miller’s insight and frank approach have earned him critical praise, professional golfers’ respect, and golf fans’ appreciation. At the WGC-Mexico Championship (Thursday-Sunday, Feb. 21-24) Paul Azinger will make his official debut as NBC Sports’ lead golf analyst. Azinger’s NBC Sports schedule will regularly include four days of tournament coverage across Golf Channel and NBC.

NBC SPORTS’ NEW PGA TOUR SPRING SWING
Beginning with the WGC-Mexico Championship (Feb. 21-24), Golf Channel and NBC Sports will air seven consecutive weeks of PGA TOUR coverage. Coverage will include the new Florida swing, featuring The Honda Classic (Feb. 28-March 3); the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard (March 7-10); The PLAYERS Championship (March 14-17); and the Valspar Championship (March 21-24). Coverage will continue for two weeks in Texas at the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play in Austin, (Wednesday-Sunday, March 27-31) and the Valero Texas Open (April 4-7). March kicks off the newly enhanced golf calendar featuring a marquee event each month, spanning from The PLAYERS Championship, the four major championships and the season-ending FedExCup Playoffs in August.

DEEPEST BENCH OF GOLF VOICES IN TELEVISION
NBC Sports’ 2019 tournament broadcast team features the deepest bench of golf voices in television, with analysts who have secured more than 300 professional victories worldwide, including 18 major championships and four World Golf Hall-of-Famers:
· Analysts: Paul Azinger, Notah Begay, Phil Blackmar, Billy Ray Brown, Curt Byrum, Brandel Chamblee, Kay Cockerill, John Cook, David Duval, Nick Faldo, David Feherty, Jerry Foltz, Jim Gallagher, Jr., Matt Gogel, Trevor Immelman, Tripp Isenhour, Peter Jacobsen, Gary Koch, Billy Kratzert, Tom Lehman, Justin Leonard, Jim “Bones” Mackay, Paige Mackenzie, John Mahaffey, Roger Maltbie, Johnny Miller, Frank Nobilo, Arron Oberholser, Craig Perks, Judy Rankin, Mark Rolfing, Karen Stupples and Lanny Wadkins.
· Hosts/Reporters: Tom Abbott, Grant Boone, Steve Burkowski, Vince Cellini, Gary Christian, Heather Cox, Terry Gannon, Dan Hicks, Rich Lerner, Todd Lewis, Bob Papa, Jimmy Roberts, Steve Sands, George Savaricas, Mike Tirico and Whit Watson.