BREAKING: PGA TOUR and LPGA TOUR Agree To TV Deal

Reports emerged on Tuesday that a deal had been struck with the PGA TOUR and it’s hosting networks that will allow TV rights to remain very similar to how they are now for the next nine years. According to the sources, it looks like the deal will be worth $7 billion with CBS and NBC still remaining as the major television providers of the game (CBS will still take on about twice the events as NBC.)

On top of that, Golf Channel, owned by NBC, will also continue to be the home of all pre-tournament and early week coverage for the PGA TOUR.

The biggest change seems to be the inclusion of ESPN in the deal. ESPN has had some sparing coverage, typically for The Masters but they have also clinched much of the streaming rights to the game, with PGA Tour Live being a part of ESPN+ subscriptions.

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“Following a comprehensive process of studying the market, talking to all interested parties and analyzing our various options, we’re excited to announce that we have entered into new agreements with our existing partners ViacomCBS and Comcast/NBC Sports Group, while establishing a new long-term relationship with Disney and ESPN+,” PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan said. “We were extremely pleased with the interest we received from the market – both with incumbents and other media companies – and are excited that our current partners shared our vision for the future, and we are equally excited to be back in business with Disney and ESPN+.”

Another interesting part of the deal was that the LPGA TOUR decided to allow the PGA TOUR to negotiate a TV deal on their behalf. As a part of the deal negotiated, the Golf Channel is set to remain as the home for LPGA TOUR. The deal also allows for CBS and NBC to pick up more coverage of LPGA TOUR events than they have in the past.

Overall, it seems like this was a no-brainer deal since the TV situation is working well for all involved. It’s nice to see some changes as well and there may be even more info once the deal becomes public. So stay tuned to see if anything new comes out in the coming days.

Cover Image Via Twitter