Executive Voice: ESPN’s John Suchenski: PGA TOUR LIVE on ESPN+
The inaugural season of PGA TOUR LIVE on ESPN+ will offer golf fans an unprecedented amount of live coverage, with more than triple the number of hours
Executive Voice
ESPN+ and PGA TOUR announced details for the inaugural season of PGA TOUR LIVE on ESPN+ this morning. Front Row caught up with John Suchenski, director of programming & acquisitions overseeing PGA TOUR LIVE on ESPN+, to hear what that will look like starting next year.
How will the PGA TOUR LIVE offering on ESPN+ be different starting in January?
The inaugural season of PGA TOUR LIVE on ESPN+ will offer golf fans an unprecedented amount of live coverage, with more than triple the number of hours – adding more than 3,200 new hours of live streaming available for a total of more than 4,300 exclusive hours and expanding from one feed to four dedicated feeds per day for most tournaments. With the launch also comes new tournaments that have not been shown on PGA TOUR LIVE in the past, a redesigned look and graphics package and streaming feeds that bring fans a unique viewing experience.
What will the new PGA TOUR on ESPN+ feeds be like?
Beginning with The American Express (Jan. 20-23, 2022), PGA TOUR LIVE on ESPN+ will offer fans four live feeds for each tournament:
- Main Feed: primary tournament coverage featuring the best action from across the course;
- Marquee Group: new “marquee group” showcasing every shot from each player in the group;
- Featured Groups: traditional PGA TOUR LIVE coverage of two concurrent featured groups;
- Featured Holes: a combination of par-3s and iconic or pivotal holes, like the island green 17th hole at THE PLAYERS Championship and the stadium-style 16th hole at the Waste Management Phoenix Open
When network television coverage begins on GOLF, NBC or CBS, the four streams will pivot to two featured groups and two featured holes so fans can continue to engage with PGA TOUR LIVE on ESPN+ in addition to the telecast.
Each day, ESPN+ will be the first place for fans to watch PGA TOUR coverage.
Will this be offered for all PGA TOUR tournaments?
Yes, PGA TOUR LIVE on ESPN+ will include live coverage of 35 tournaments in 2022 – from the TOUR’s Hawaii events in January through the FedExCup Playoffs – with at least 28 events having four full days of coverage and four simultaneous live feeds each day.
PGA TOUR LIVE on ESPN+ will kick off on Jan. 6 with the Sentry Tournament of Champions in Maui, followed by the Sony Open in Hawaii from Honolulu one week later. Both will be covered on PGA TOUR LIVE for the first time with Featured Groups coverage in the mornings, followed by Featured Holes in the afternoons.
