Twitter wins bid to stream PGA Tour during 2016–17 season
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The PGA Tour announced Thursday that Twitter was chosen as the property’s exclusive global platform, distributing more than 70 hours of free live event and competition coverage during the rest of the 2016–17 season.
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Both Twitter and Facebook tested with the PGA Tour last summer as the two companies streamed more than 14 hours of PGA Tour Love coverage during the opening rounds of The Barclays and Deutsche Bank Championship. From the latest announcement, it’s clear which platform won the live-streaming duel—at least for now.
“Streaming PGA Tour Live programming to Twitter’s global audience, as well as the millions of users who follow @PGATOUR and hundreds of PGA Tour player accounts, will provide new and innovative ways for sports fans to engage with our premium OTT offering,” Rick Anderson, Chief Media Officer of the PGA Tour, said in a statement.
Added Twitter COO Anthony Noto in a statement: “The PGA Tour continues to transform the experience for fans on Twitter, a place where golf conversation is happening live in real time every day. Our collaboration with the PGA Tour will provide fans all over the world access to watch live streaming PGA Tour events on Twitter while following the conversation all on one screen.”
The new live-streaming partnership between Twitter and the PGA Tour, which will be available globally at the PGA Tour’s Twitter account and PGATourLive.twitter.com, begins at the CareerBuilder Challenge on Jan. 19 and will finish with the Tour Championship. Twitter’s live stream will include the first 60 to 90 minutes of PGA Tour Live’s over-the-top subscription window typically on Thursday and Friday mornings. Additionally, it will include interviews, driving range coverage, pre-game analysis and live competition from each day’s PGA Tour Live Marquee Groups.
