Turner Sports’ 25th Consecutive Year of PGA Championship Coverage Tees Off Thursday, August 13, from Whistling Straits in Kohler, Wis.
Jordan Spieth to Compete for Third Major Championship of the Year
TNT to Exclusively Televise 18 Hours of Live Coverage with Broadcast Enhancements Including Use of Drone Footage for First Time and Expanded Swing Vision Analysis
PGA.com, Managed by Turner Sports, to Offer New Technical Features to the Sports Emmy Award-Winning PGA Championship LIVE Video Player, Enhancing the Experience For Golf Fans Everywhere
Turner Sports will provide comprehensive multimedia coverage of the 97th PGA Championship held August 13-16 from Whistling Straits in Kohler, Wis. TNT will televise 18 hours of exclusive live action as Jordan Spieth attempts to become the first golfer since Tiger Woods (in 2000) to win three major championships in one year.
This marks the 25th consecutive year of Turner Sports’ coverage of the PGA Championship and TNT’s 17th straight year televising the event. TNT’s coverage will include six hours each day on Thursday and Friday, Aug. 13-14, from 2-8 p.m. ET, along with live coverage of the third and fourth rounds on Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 15-16, from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. ET TNT commentators will be Sports Emmy Award-winning host Ernie Johnson, analyst Ian Baker-Finch, course reporter Billy Kratzert, and Vince Cellini handling pre- and post-round interviews.
Across TNT and PGA.com, Turner Sports will offer an unprecedented level of technical enhancements for golf fans everywhere including the integration of drone camera footage into its live event golf coverage for the first time. The new aerial drone will showcase unique points of views highlighting Whistling Straits’ hilly terrain and picturesque holes that line Lake Michigan. Expanded features for this year’s telecast will also include TNT Total Motion swing analysis and Golf Trax technology utilizing laser-generated data providing fans a virtual tour of the course along with an aerial view of a player’s ball direction and a 360-degree view of each hole.
PGA.com, managed by Turner Sports, will offer extensive coverage of the event including live streaming via PGA Championship LIVE, presented by Mercedes-Benz, along with social content and new interactive features that include shot-by-shot laser-generated data for the marquee group and an alternative live leaderboard displaying players on the course by group. The Sports Emmy Award-winning PGA Championship LIVE will feature multiple live video streams allowing fans to view Marquee Groups and Par-3 coverage, along with providing direct access to the television broadcast and media room interviews. PGA Championship LIVE will be available across a wide array of platforms including desktop, iOS and Android tablets, smartphones and the PGA Championship TV App, designed exclusively for Samsung Smart TVs.
Fans will also be able to view simulcast broadcast coverage of the tournament via PGA.com. TNT’s coverage will require viewers to log in with their user name and password given to them by their TV service provider. CBS’ coverage of the championship on Saturday and Sunday will not require log in. PGA Championship LIVE’s Marquee Group coverage will be hosted by play-by-play announcer Brian Katrek and analyst Michael Breed, alongside course reporters Ted Tryba and Fred Albers.
The award-winning event-based PGA Championship TV App – designed for select Samsung Smart TV platforms – will once again offer a unique and interactive way for golf fans to experience the PGA Championship. The one-of-a-kind TV app features “Broadcast Mode,” which allows users to complement and customize their live viewing experience. Samsung Smart TV users will also be able to enjoy exclusive Samsung “All-Access” PGA Championship content including live Marquee Group, and Par-3 coverage, new 4K All-Access Video On-Demand, live scoring, player info, social discussion, and photo galleries. The PGA Championship TV App will be available for viewers prior to the start of the tournament.
PGA.com will also provide coverage of the PGA Championship Long Drive Competition on Tuesday, Aug. 11, as players are offered the opportunity to hit one shot to win a special money clip inspired by the one received by Jack Nicklaus for hitting the longest drive at the PGA Championship in 1963.
Golf fans visiting Whistling Straits will enjoy a completely immersive experience with access to a wide range of content and resources via the PGA Championship app, including innovative Smart Bluetooth Beacon Technology for improved course navigation, video content, live scoring and Minute-by-Minute content streaming of the action from the course and behind the scenes.
Additional cross-platform highlights:
TNT
- TNT Total Motion – A super slo-mo camera will deliver a definitive point of view for swing analysis and a review of specialty shots. Swing vision analysis will also utilize picture-in-picture animation.
- Golf Trax – Expanded for this year’s coverage with added laser generated data, TNT and PGA.com will provide viewers with a virtual tour of the course along with an aerial view of a player’s ball direction and a 360-degree view of each hole.
PGA.com
- Minute-By-Minute – Fans can follow up up-to-minute coverage, key moments, social content and discussion surrounding PGA Championship via the Minute-By-Minute stream on PGA.com website, mobile web and mobile apps.
- Marquee Group Shot-By-Shot – Laser-generated data will provide a graphical display of the shot-by-shot performance for each player in marquee group over all 18 holes at Whistling Straits.
- Video Highlights – Available across all platforms, PGA.com will offer highlights of key shots, while mobile users can opt-in for alerts to receive direct notifications when top moments occur.
- Interactive Content – In addition to the app, PGA.com will feature coverage of the PGA Championship through extensive editorial coverage, social integrations, live scoring, photo galleries and the debut of interactive data visualizations by Qlik.
Mobile
- Apps – A full suite of PGA Championship apps will return across phone and tablets. Both the Android app, sponsored by Samsung, and the iOS app, sponsored by Mercedes-Benz, will offer access to live video, news, Minute-By-Minute live updates, live scoring and a player locator, which allows users to track the location of their favorite players on the course.
- Mobile Website – In addition to the PGA Championship apps, the PGA.com mobile website will offer video, live scoring, news, photos and Minute-By-Minute live updates throughout the event.
- New Onsite Fan Features – The PGA of America and Turner Sports have partnered to upgrade the spectator experience at Whistling Straits, including a new “Binoculars” feature. Using Smart Bluetooth Beacon Technology, the enhancement will allow fans to easily identify player groups in close proximity to their location on the course. Fans on-site will also have the opportunity to access the new Minute-by-Minute feature, which presents real-time updates, highlights and photos to keep up with all the action across Whistling Straits. Guests will also be able to utilize expanded on-course Wi-Fi for better connectivity and access to digital content.
Social
- Periscope – The PGA.com Periscope account will give fans a behind-the-scenes look at the 2015 PGA Championship throughout the week, including a sneak peek into TNT and PGA.com’s extensive productions, as well as this year’s practice rounds and long drive competition.
- Countdown – Graphics featuring Whistling Straits stats, PGA Championship facts, historical moments and more will help fans count down to the 2015 PGA Championship.
- Twitter Real Time Highlights sponsored by Chase – Native video within the Twitter platform will allow PGA.com’s Twitter followers to watch the latest highlights from around the course.
- Press conferences – PGA.com’s Facebook and Twitter pages will provide followers with video and links to live press conferences on PGA.com.
- Twitter social sign – PGA Championship attendees will have a chance to pose for pictures alongside signs featuring the hashtags #ThisIsMajor, inviting general social conversation surrounding the event.
