What’s changing on Golf Channel? I asked the person in charge

Golf Channel has a new logo.

What’s interesting about the new logo is that it’s almost identical to the network’s logo. old logo.

That tells part of the story.

What’s old is new again on golf’s only 24-hour network. You’ll have new ownership, but you’ll feel familiar. Versant Media Group went public on Monday after spinning off most of NBCUniversal’s cable channels. Some of the programming is new, but some of it is familiar. of big break The reboot aims to please multiple generations of fans, and the new weekly talk show format offering is aimed at returning consistent live conversation about the sport to Golf Channel. But there are also signs of pushing the boundaries. The recent debut of the Optum Golf Channel game felt truly different and was generally pleasingly well received by a discerning golf audience.

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So the big question is: What does this new structure mean and how new will the new Golf Channel feel? And how new is the viewer? want that To feel? This is golf, after all, and change usually comes at a glacial pace. However, the current seismic shifts in the sports world are accelerating. 10 years ago there was no LIV Golf. There was no TGL. we didn’t have the match. There was no Good Good or Internet Invitational. And there were no Golf Channel games either.

Shortly after those games, right before the holiday break, I met the man behind the wheel, Tom Knapp, vice president and general manager of Golf Channel. Knapp offered an optimistic vision for his network’s new home. As a sport, golf is in a great position, and the only 24/7 network should be able to ride the wave. Especially considering golf is a cornerstone of Versant’s plans. They will become more agile in decision-making, there will be constant pressure to try new things, and increased oversight will lead to better products.

So how would things feel different? How is Knapp working with the new leadership on the PGA Tour and LPGA Tour? What’s it like having Rory McIlroy as a business partner? YouTube What Happened to Golf?

More questions will come up in the future. But the new year starts here on Golf Channel.

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Dylan DeTier, Golf: From my living room, the Golf Channel game looked like a success. It was also symbolic of some of the things you’re going to try. I’m interested in how it looked from your seat.

Tom Knapp, Vice President and GM of Golf Channel, said: we were very satisfied. We haven’t really been involved in the made-for-TV world of golf. I think some people found that strange because it’s the Golf Channel. But we wanted to create a competition that not only resonated with our core audience, but also appealed to today’s new audience: YouTube golf fans.

It’s very difficult to find a concept that works for both. Hardcore golfers have a certain need for competition, but on top of that, there’s the fast-paced energy component of YouTube golfers. What could help both? The goal was to find a tournament that would allow the world’s best athletes to perform under stress that they would not normally compete in. and keep them together was another guideline. We were able to have all 8 of us around each other at all times. there was no need for that create We argue because we are competing. You can just hear their competition loud.

DD: That’s interesting. You relied on their competitive instincts to get the show going. It sounds like they decided to lean into it as a contest first and not a TV show first, if that makes sense.

TK: yes. And how can I express this correctly? – result This is a word I often use within my team. We wear something that has consequences, wins and losses. Even though this is an exhibition, I tried to create it so that literally every shot had consequence and meaning. And it happened. They compete on TV every week of the year, but they knew they were live and they knew they had a team counting on them. they wanted to win. And when you look at that watch as a viewer, you tend to lean forward. Although you tend to go Oh, he has to hurry. That was important to us. How can we stress viewers and players equally?

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DD: So how does this event fit into the big picture of what Golf Channel is doing? Is this a one-off or a foreshadowing of things to come?

TK: It’s certainly not a one-off. Of course, the Golf Channel game is going to continue. This shows how deeply golf is in the DNA of our new company, Versant and USA Sports. Obviously, golf is very important to NBC Sports as well. But Golf Channel and Versant are on a different level.

DD: Logically, what does this new structure, becoming part of USA Sports under Versant, mean for Golf Channel?

TK: Doing things like Golf Channel Games on Golf Channel allows you to reach beyond your core audience and US network. In our opinion, USA Network has the audience profile of a cable broadcast network. It’s more diverse, more feminine, and has a different structure than Golf Channel. So broadcasting in America allows us to cast a wider net and show what we’re doing to a variety of audiences. With Versant, you can cast to a wider audience, and with USA, you get network-style appeal.

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(Editor’s note: Versant says the game drew an average of 300,000 viewers live, and an additional 300,000 cumulative average viewers in six rebroadcasts, for a total of 2.7 million unique viewers.)

DD: How much of a difference do you expect viewers to notice on Golf Channel next year under the Versant regime compared to, say, the last few years under the NBC regime?

TK: Basically, we work with the PGA Tour, LPGA Tour, golf governing bodies, major championships, etc. live from – It doesn’t change anything. around it However, you will see something different.

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Consider what Gary Williams did in the morning (on his show) 5 clubs). That was important to us. It will be live again in the morning. As you may have heard, we’ve added four talk-style shows in the mornings. I’m sure you’ve heard me say this before, back in the business and lifestyle of golf.

The second is a different form of competition, like the one we saw at the Optum Golf Channel Games.

And thirdly, big break next year. This is also something I probably wouldn’t have done these days. That went away when we started focusing on live competition, but now we want to reach a wider range of golf fans. Let’s continue to expand our circle and pay attention to the golf lifestyle. You’ll find out a lot more.

DD: Where is everyone streaming? If people who are watching the new Golf Channel aren’t watching it on cable, where are they watching it?

TK: By the way, they’re going to be watching this product on golfchannel.com. There you can stream the products we just relaunched. It looks great and I’m really looking forward to it. But the new app, scheduled to be released in February, will be available to everyone. Therefore, your primary streaming going forward will be on the Golf Channel mobile app and golfchannel.com. Both are great digital products for everyone.

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DD: In our latest partnership with Good Good Golf; big break. Was there a specific moment when you realized YouTube Golf was huge and was here to stay?

TK: I have been able to benefit from focus groups with my now 31-year-old son. We talk a lot about golf, and a few years ago he started paying close attention to Good Good Golf and YouTube contests. I started paying attention to what he was excited about and what he found interesting. That began my relationship with Matt Kendrick, CEO of Good Good. One of our leaders in franchise development developed that relationship. And what was important to us at the time was how do you find golf entertainers on YouTube who don’t have an agenda? Are you a person who loves to play golf, enjoy the game of golf, love to expand the exposure of golf, and are agnostic about whatever the topic of the day is in the sport of golf?

There are a lot of content creators out there who are purposefully trying to push the narrative forward. I told the team that we needed to find the right partner who was agenda-agnostic and loved this game as much as we did. That was good.

DD: There’s another big partner of yours who appeared on the Golf Channel Game. He also tends to be in the news from time to time: Rory McIlroy. What does he mean to you guys? And how big a part of your plans is he going to be?

TK: Rory means everything to us. He’s a great partner. We just announced our production company with Rory, Firethorn Productions, and our relationship with him has only grown stronger over the years. When it came to the game, he came in very early and was part of the planning process. He is very open-minded to being different and innovative. But Rory is also a traditionalist. That’s why Rory always has important guidelines. So we know him very well. We talk to him all the time. And he is, yes, literally part of the team.

DD: What gives him such broad appeal? What makes Rory stand out?

TK: His honesty. So, first and foremost, he’s a global superstar. He is an iconic Hall of Fame golfer. He is a Grand Slam winner. But he’s also a guy you can go for a coffee with or have a drink at the pub. Rory has appeared in a lot of media and what you see is what you get. He’s in it for the same reasons we’re in it. He loves golf, right? And he just wants golf to be great as a sport, as an ecosystem, and as a business. And he’ll do anything to move the sport forward and make the sport stronger. And it’s real. He’s not making it up.

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DD: There is so much change and disruption happening in the world of golf right now. Not just on the television side, but also on the leadership of the organization. New LPGA Commissioner, new PGA Tour CEO. What does that mean from your side in terms of schedules, opportunities, changes?

TK: We connect with them and clarify what we really want to understand: What is important to you? How can we help you achieve your goals? No one is closer to the business and lifestyle of golf than the Golf Channel. We can help our league partners achieve new goals.

I’ve seen most of Brian (Rolup) and Craig (Kessler)’s goals. They were very public about what they were trying to accomplish. We talk to them all the time. There are frequent updates on what they are trying to accomplish. We have a very close relationship with them. And we’re excited to have new leadership and leadership that has the same goals as us. They want golf to be great.

By the way, I think golf is in a very healthy situation. Over the past few years, there has been a lot of discussion about what’s broken and what needs to be fixed. And of course, there’s always something that can be improved. But Golf is in a very good place, especially with the work Brian and Craig are doing with their competitive products. Anyone who doesn’t constantly try to improve will be overtaken, and neither of them will allow that.

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DD: How does that work when the league is thinking about their product and talking to you? Do they come to you and ask, “Hey, what do you guys think we should do?” What do you guys want from a network standpoint?

TK: Each of the PGA Tour’s media partners met with the Future Competitions Committee to have their own discussions approximately one month in advance. It was transparent, open, and more collaborative than I expected. They wanted to hear from us about our business, how the changes they were considering might impact our business, and what was important to us. And we asked the same questions about their plans. It was a really great process.

And I did the same thing with Craig. You’ve seen some of the things we’re doing in conjunction with the LPGA. Craig and his FM partners wanted to upgrade some of their TV equipment and add more technology to their TV broadcasts, and we all worked together to make that happen. We are constantly working with Craig to improve the LPGA schedule and broadcast times. They were already pretty good, but if they don’t try to improve, they’re no better than anyone else. Well, the level of transparency and openness and collaboration on both sides is amazing and very genuine.

DD: Finally: What gets you out of bed in the morning and what keeps you up at night?

TK: Oh, hey. What gets me out of bed and excited is the new opportunity I have with Golf Channel. We are refocusing our business and being agile. Less corporate tiers means we can do more things like the Optum Golf Channel game. What we can get back is big break. We can make educated decisions very quickly and add fuel to the golf ecosystem we all love. It’s really exciting. Every morning, I owe it to all of Versant’s golf staff to make sure we take advantage of these new opportunities in front of us. Business as usual is not possible. And if I had business as usual, I wouldn’t be working. No, we have a mission and an opportunity to redefine and grow Golf Channel. And that’s why I get out of bed every day.

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The answer is similar, but what keeps me up at night is, “Are we doing enough?” Are we doing enough to support what really matters in the golf media and business ecosystem? only one person We have very formal relationships with all the governing bodies in golf. everyone. We partner with everyone. Are we doing enough to help them continue to make this sport great? So I’m careful not to get complacent. We can never be complacent because of our obligations to sport and business.

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