PGA Tour Joins With MLB For Streaming Service...
/The good news? The PGA Tour has joined forces with Major League Baseball's Advanced Media, MLBAM, to create a digital streaming service.
That's great news actually. Because MLBAM is so good that it powers most of the best digital offerings around, including some that would probably shock you. Oh, and MLB's offerings, which are sensational.
The bad news?
They'll be asking us to pay for early Thursday and Friday PGA Tour coverage not picked up by the Golf Channel. In other words, subscribers will be for friends and family, or family loaning their password to friends. But since you know I always like to look at the positive side of things when it comes to PGA Tour business, the long term play here is hopefully a positive one for fans. You know, one that makes it easier to see some fun content involving more than just weekday non-TV window content.
For Immediate Release:
INTRODUCING PGA TOUR LIVE
New Digital OTT Subscription Service to Debut in 2015
PGA TOUR and MLB Advanced Media to collaborate
on product development, live streaming and distribution
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. (April 28, 2015) – The PGA TOUR today announced the creation of PGA TOUR LIVE, a digital Over-The-Top subscription service featuring exclusive, live Thursday and Friday morning coverage of more than 30 PGA TOUR events per season. The PGA TOUR and MLB Advanced Media (MLBAM) are entering into a multi-year partnership to develop, produce, and distribute the OTT service to golf fans in North America and other key markets around the world.
Set to launch this summer, PGA TOUR LIVE will feature exclusive Thursday and Friday coverage of two morning featured groups leading up to the afternoon Golf Channel television broadcast. PGA TOUR LIVE will mark the first time ever that complete, live coverage of morning marquee groups has been provided to fans.
“PGA TOUR LIVE is an important development for golf fans, as it will bring live action to the devices they use most, while building great momentum and viewership for the ensuing broadcast coverage each weekday afternoon and into the weekend,” said Tim Finchem, Commissioner of the PGA TOUR. “Working with MLBAM was a natural fit, as it was a top priority to find a partner to meet the challenge of delivering the digital hybrid our fans want most – a live HD broadcast with world-class technology distribution.”
The PGA TOUR and MLBAM will collaborate to develop, launch and operate the subscription service across mobile, tablet and other digital devices in the United States, Canada, and select international markets. MLBAM, the New York-based technology company, will provide its Emmy Award winning video infrastructure services, including cross-platform application development and broadcast engineering operations, to bring this new digital-only product to a wide range of devices and screens. Subscription pricing and supported digital platforms will be announced at a later date.
“Commissioner Finchem and his entire staff deserve credit for having the vision and the fortitude to serve the millions of golf fans with this product,” said Bob Bowman, President of Business & Media for Major League Baseball. “Those fans will not be disappointed.”
