uspga coverage not available on tv in ireland.

rickis tache

So coverage will only be available through the Eleven sports app or through their Facebook page for the first 2 rounds.
I suppose it's the way things are going but it's beyond me why the pgatour decide on this.
can't post link but Google it to see reference.

Niles Crane

Disgraceful decision.

The major championships are supposed to exists in my opinion to grow the sport, attract casual fans.Golf should be going completely the other way and making siure the majors are on Free To Air not putting a ridiculous barrier of internet only coverage which is going to turn away so many fans particulalrly consideirng the age profile of alot of golfs fans.

To be honest I'm surprised the PGA haven't picked up more heat for this idicotic decision and the players and adminstrators this side of the atlantic haven't kicked up a fuss.

PS to mods: Although the topic has been covered in another thread probably a good idea to stick with this thread as the other thread only reference sky not having coverage.

coylemj

Niles Crane wrote: »

The major championships are supposed to exists in my opinion to grow the sport, attract casual fans.

The (British) Open is the only major about whom you can say that and they appear to have adopted an entrenched attitude that the great unwashed don't deserve free golf on TV, possibly because of the abysmal vote Rory got in the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award a few years back.

The other majors are run by sectional interests who couldn't give a XXXX about increasing the appeal of golf outside the US.

backspin.

Good article here on it.

https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport/golf/pga-championship/the-uspga-championship-will-not-be-on-tv-as-golfs-final-2018-major-shuns-both-bbc-and-sky-sports-37145789.html

DEFTLEFTHAND

This is ridiculous.

vapor trails

Whatever way the cookie crumbled last year I had to watch the event on Eir sports. They were on add break for Justin Thomas's key chip in on 15 I think it was. When the coverage came back there was no studio to explain what just happened. It was a 2/3 shot swing which Matsuyama never recovered from in the middle of a back 9 on the final round of a major and everyone was completely in the dark as to what had just happened.

If Eir sports were showing it again this year that would be a worse situation as far as I'm concerned that what we are faced with at the moment.

someyoke

You can watch it free if you haven't used your eleven eleven day free trial!

Niles Crane

vapor trails wrote: »

Whatever way the cookie crumbled last year I had to watch the event on Eir sports. They were on add break for Justin Thomas's key chip in on 15 I think it was. When the coverage came back there was no studio to explain what just happened. It was a 2/3 shot swing which Matsuyama never recovered from in the middle of a back 9 on the final round of a major and everyone was completely in the dark as to what had just happened.

If Eir sports were showing it again this year that would be a worse situation as far as I'm concerned that what we are faced with at the moment.

No it wouldn't .

People had easy access to watching it on TV last year they don't this year. Thats is the problem.It was also on BBC last year.

I'd say the viewing figures for this are going to be absolutely horrendous.

Golf is the sport most of all that does not suit streaming.

First Up

Niles Crane wrote: »

vapor trails wrote: »

Whatever way the cookie crumbled last year I had to watch the event on Eir sports. They were on add break for Justin Thomas's key chip in on 15 I think it was. When the coverage came back there was no studio to explain what just happened. It was a 2/3 shot swing which Matsuyama never recovered from in the middle of a back 9 on the final round of a major and everyone was completely in the dark as to what had just happened.

If Eir sports were showing it again this year that would be a worse situation as far as I'm concerned that what we are faced with at the moment.

No it wouldn't .

People had easy access to watching it on TV last year they don't this year. Thats is the problem.It was also on BBC last year.

I'd say the viewing figures for this are going to be absolutely horrendous.

Golf is the sport most of all that does not suit streaming.

Money will talk in the end. Advertisers will look at the potential viewing numbers and decide if it is worth their while.

Eleven are using this to promote their service. The PGA is only interested in the prize fund.

Niles Crane

First Up wrote: »

Money will talk in the end. Advertisers will look at the potential viewing numbers and decide if it is worth their while.

Eleven are using this to promote their service. The PGA is only interested in the prize fund.

I'm sort of surprised (although maybe I shouldn't be consideirng professional sports people live in a bubble) that a few players haven't spoke out about it yet.

Sponsorship is the main income for players and I would imagine the major championships make up a huge amount of their earning potential from sponsorship.With the lack of viwership this will get surely if the arrangement persists they shoudl expect a loss of earnings for the players particularly the european ones.

As you said this is probably being used as a publicity stunt to get people to realise Eleven Sports exist, hopefully it is a one off occurance and it's back on proper TV next year.

Really disappointing though that the PGA don't seem interested in promoting the sport particularly after the great finish to the Open at the weekend it was the perfect time to capitalise and hype up this event and the sport with having free to air coverage on the BBC.

First Up

Niles Crane wrote: »

First Up wrote: »

Money will talk in the end. Advertisers will look at the potential viewing numbers and decide if it is worth their while.

Eleven are using this to promote their service. The PGA is only interested in the prize fund.

I'm sort of surprised (although maybe I shouldn't be consideirng professional sports people live in a bubble) that a few players haven't spoke out about it yet.

Sponsorship is the main income for players and I would imagine the major championships make up a huge amount of their earning potential from sponsorship.With the lack of viwership this will get surely if the arrangement persists they shoudl expect a loss of earnings for the players particularly the european ones.

As you said this is probably being used as a publicity stunt to get people to realise Eleven Sports exist, hopefully it is a one off occurance and it's back on proper TV next year.

Really disappointing though that the PGA don't seem interested in promoting the sport particularly after the great finish to the Open at the weekend it was the perfect time to capitalise and hype up this event and the sport with having free to air coverage on the BBC.

The USPGA are probably not all that bothered about international coverage. Its on CBS in the US so they have full coverage there. That's where most of their money comes from.

I hope its just a one off stunt by Eleven, because I sure ain't signing up. Good piece by Malachy Clerkin in today's Irish Times about the fragmentation of TV sports coverage. He reckons it costs about €2,000 p.a to have everything.