Semi OT - DirecTV may drop The Golf Channel

[Dan Herrmann]

Rumors swirling that DirecTV may dump Golf Channel because of a food fight with GC’s owner Comcast over license fees....

Details:  http://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/article/67600

I've been a DirecTV customer since 1996, but will drop the service if they drop The Golf Channel.

[Kris Shreiner]

Happy Holidays to you and the queen!

The golf channel should concentrate on improving their content, not trying to squeeze one of their main distribution points. You have to wonder about the clueless management there at gc. These Trump fests and Big Break Cat fights are certainly not winning them increased viewers, besides those of the "Jersey Shore" mentality.

[Mike_Young]

Happy Holidays to you and the queen!

The golf channel should concentrate on improving their content, not trying to squeeze one of their main distribution points. You have to wonder about the clueless management there at gc. These Trump fests and Big Break Cat fights are certainly not winning them increased viewers, besides those of the "Jersey Shore" mentality.

Sorry to disappoint you but Big Break is their top revenue producer....sometimes this site forgets just how miniscule architecture freaks really are in the golf world....you can buy a big break at a resort for around $700,000 and be on the air for 5 hours a week for 12 weeks and then you get to keep the camera work and you can sell other ads etc to allied groups etc....yet you host one Nationwide with Tv for aropund $600,000 plus and people don't remember where it was a week later....management at Golf channel knows exactly what they are doing...

[Ben Kodadek]

On another note, I recall hearing that the PGA TOUR Network on Sirius/XM was not going to be renewed.  Anyone have additional info?

[PCCraig]

Obviously, the network isn't watched much in the offseason. Apparently now showing old movies that have nothing to do with golf such as Analize This and Point Break drives more viewers to the network than reruns of Trump's Wonderful World of Golf or more infomercials for the Spin Mill wedge and that training aid with Mark O Meara.

[Bill_McBride]

I was pretty surprised to turn on the Golf Channel and find Analyze This.  They ought to track down the old CBS Classic, there must have been 100 episodes of that.  We could discuss Firestone South endlessly.

[Eric Smith]

Obviously everyone has their own perspectives, but I gotta say that I really do enjoy reading when Mike Young shares his.

[PThomas]

On another note, I recall hearing that the PGA TOUR Network on Sirius/XM was not going to be renewed.  Anyone have additional info?

is there a single person anywhere who LISTENS to golf telecasts?

golf is so boring on TV sometimes...i would think that LISTENING to it while driving is a safety concern, as it may very well cause drivers to fall asleep

[Ben Kodadek]

On another note, I recall hearing that the PGA TOUR Network on Sirius/XM was not going to be renewed.  Anyone have additional info?

is there a single person anywhere who LISTENS to golf telecasts?

golf is so boring on TV sometimes...i would think that LISTENING to it while driving is a safety concern, as it may very well cause drivers to fall asleep

Paul,

Agreed.  It is brutal.  "He takes the putter back..................and through" 

I do like the Peter Kessler show however.  He has some pretty good interviews with true legends.

[Adam_Messix]

Are they still showing the old Challenge Golf show with Palmer and Player?  They showed one match at the Valley Club of Montecito (only a few holes though and the match was a rout) and one at Los Angeles Country Club North with Nicklaus and Phil Rodgers.  I've each show on once by luck happenstance.  That and the old Shells matches are what made the early Golf Channel so cool.  Now, I hardly watch it.

[PThomas]

On another note, I recall hearing that the PGA TOUR Network on Sirius/XM was not going to be renewed.  Anyone have additional info?

is there a single person anywhere who LISTENS to golf telecasts?

golf is so boring on TV sometimes...i would think that LISTENING to it while driving is a safety concern, as it may very well cause drivers to fall asleep

Paul,

Agreed.  It is brutal.  "He takes the putter back..................and through" 

I do like the Peter Kessler show however.  He has some pretty good interviews with true legends.

forgot about the interviews Ben, those could be okay esp with someone like Kessler.....why he doesnt get a job with CBS or NBS is bafflling, consdiering some of the (lack of ) talent on those telecasts

[Brian Stewart]

On another note, I recall hearing that the PGA TOUR Network on Sirius/XM was not going to be renewed.  Anyone have additional info?

is there a single person anywhere who LISTENS to golf telecasts?

golf is so boring on TV sometimes...i would think that LISTENING to it while driving is a safety concern, as it may very well cause drivers to fall asleep

Yes, I listen to the PGA Tour Network regularly both while driving and at work.  I enjoy it and you don't need to pay close attention.  I would likely drop XM if I didn't get the PGA Tour Network because that's the main thing I listen to on it.  Everything else I listen to can be found on regular radio (ESPN, FOX, etc).  If I want to listen to music I use my own so that is a non-factor for XM usage.

I'm another that would drop D* if they didn't keep the tGC.  I travel 45+ weeks/year for work and honestly don't watch much TV at all other than sports via my SlingBox so tGC makes up an extremely significant portion of my TV viewing.  If I can't get what I want in my extremely small amount of viewing the service become completely useless. 

[Dan Herrmann]

Charlie,
You're 100% correct - it's a dispute between Comcast (who owns TGC) and DirecTV.

[Tim Leahy]

It's all Rush Limberger's fault!
 No one wants to watch that fat drug addict unamerican racist take golf lessons.
Ray Romano was bad enough!

[Matthew Rose]

I'd strongly consider dropping DirectTV if the Golf Channel went away. I was very close to doing so when the Versus thing was going on.

I work on weekends and very late on some weekdays, so the GC nightly re-broadcasts are just about the only way I get to watch golf anymore these days. Yeah, I could do without Rush and Trump and the Big Break nonsense but I also understand that they gotta fill 24 hours, and I also understand that TGC probably caters to a demographic much to the right of where I stand politically.

I wish TGC would show more "old" stuff in general. I used to love it around US and Open time whenever you'd see those wonderful grainy films of old championships from the 60s and 70s.... white belts and plaid bell-bottom pants flickering against the droll narration of Peter Alliss or Chris Schenkel while a thick side-burned Johnny Miller or Jerry Pate hits a muscle-back 1-iron stiff.

The two sports I watch on TV the most are golf and hockey. What does DirectTV have against those?

[Joe Grasty]

On another note, I recall hearing that the PGA TOUR Network on Sirius/XM was not going to be renewed.  Anyone have additional info?

The PGA Tour radio will remain on Sirius XM:

http://steveelling.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/6267041/26591459

[Jud_T]

IMHO the Golf Channel has been on a slippery slope ever since the Peter Kessler fiasco.  If it weren't for the early round PGA tour coverage, the occasionally interesting European, Asian or Women's event and the final round of Q school, it'd be so much infomercial drivel...