NBC regains USGA TV deal

[Tim_Cronin]

Doug Ferguson of AP reports Fox wanted to move the weekend rounds of this year's U.S. Open to FS1 because of football contracts. Mike Davis of the USGA said no. The talks devolved from there.

NBC (and presumably Golf Channel for weekdays) gets the last seven years of the Fox contract at half-price, according to AP. That's still around $50 million annually, or about what NBC bid before Fox drove the Brink's truck to Far Hills.

So adjust your DVRs for Winged Foot in September from your local Fox channel to NBC.


Update: Wall Street Journal reports Fox is expected to still be on the hook for the part of the deal NBC doesn't pay. So Fox will be paying the USGA to televise nothing, much like a team paying a fired manager or coach.

[Peter Pallotta]

It sounds like they "made him an offer he *had to* refuse". 

[Brent Carlson]

Hopefully Johnny Miller is in the booth.  He is synonymous with the US Open to me.  Plus I like hearing about this 63 at Oakmont.

[V_Halyard]

On the surface, corporate optics imply this couldn’t happen at a worse time. NBC’s financial commitment to golf “appears” to be in deconstruction. Hopefully NBC proves us wrong, funds the build out of production teams, crews, cameras and features with the Olympic team on a year hiatus.  Opens demand quality. Those with his number, nudge B Roberts. He knows.

[Adam G]

I thought Fox made a very smart move hiring Gil Hanse to talk architecture and was looking forward to hearing his first-person takes on Winged Foot, The Country Club, and Los Angeles Country Club. Hope NBC picks him up (along with Shane and Brad who were great...they already have Azinger).

[V_Halyard]

I thought Fox made a very smart move hiring Gil Hanse to talk architecture and was looking forward to hearing his first-person takes on Winged Foot, The Country Club, and Los Angeles Country Club. Hope NBC picks him up (along with Shane and Brad who were great...they already have Azinger).

IMO Shane, Brad and Julie delivered an informed blend of golf, expert competitive opinion and organic architectural insight.

[Steve Lapper]

I thought Fox made a very smart move hiring Gil Hanse to talk architecture and was looking forward to hearing his first-person takes on Winged Foot, The Country Club, and Los Angeles Country Club. Hope NBC picks him up (along with Shane and Brad who were great...they already have Azinger).

IMO Shane, Brad and Julie delivered an informed blend of golf, expert competitive opinion and organic architectural insight.

  I'd be interested to know whether Fox willfully abrogated the personal broadcast contracts of the likes of Gil, Brad, Juli or Shane? One would have to believe they'd have a good reason to shed those costs if possible. The next question is whether NBC (Comcast-TGC) has the intelligence and guts to replace some of their human deadweight with these kind of talents.

[Tom_Doak]

I thought Fox made a very smart move hiring Gil Hanse to talk architecture and was looking forward to hearing his first-person takes on Winged Foot, The Country Club, and Los Angeles Country Club.

Well, he would have had to recuse himself over the obvious conflict of interest, right?

[V_Halyard]

I thought Fox made a very smart move hiring Gil Hanse to talk architecture and was looking forward to hearing his first-person takes on Winged Foot, The Country Club, and Los Angeles Country Club.

Well, he would have had to recuse himself over the obvious conflict of interest, right?

lol.
"Your honor, may we approach...?"

[Kalen Braley]

If it means no more Joe Buck....

and maybe some of this again?  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4OlypXALU0

It'd be a step up by default.

P.S.  This year at least its not going to really feel like a US Open anyways, being played in Fall and assuming without fans...

[Tim Martin]

If it means no more Joe Buck....

and maybe some of this again?  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4OlypXALU0

It'd be a step up by default.

P.S.  This year at least its not going to really feel like a US Open anyways, being played in Fall and assuming without fans...

Joe Buck is a baseball guy that just doesn’t have the crossover appeal. He’s fine with football too but golf was a stretch

[Kalen Braley]

If it means no more Joe Buck....

and maybe some of this again?  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4OlypXALU0

It'd be a step up by default.

P.S.  This year at least its not going to really feel like a US Open anyways, being played in Fall and assuming without fans...

Joe Buck is a baseball guy that just doesn’t have the crossover appeal. He’s fine with football too but golf was a stretch

Without his legendary father, Joe Buck would have never been in the biz.  Between him, Johnny Miller, or Bill Walton, I don't know which one wins for worst announcer.

[Ted Sturges]

I thought Fox made a very smart move hiring Gil Hanse to talk architecture and was looking forward to hearing his first-person takes on Winged Foot, The Country Club, and Los Angeles Country Club. Hope NBC picks him up (along with Shane and Brad who were great...they already have Azinger).

Does anyone else think Randolph Edward Morrissett III would be a better choice for NBC to have as an architecture commentator than Gil?


TS

[Steve Lapper]

I thought Fox made a very smart move hiring Gil Hanse to talk architecture and was looking forward to hearing his first-person takes on Winged Foot, The Country Club, and Los Angeles Country Club. Hope NBC picks him up (along with Shane and Brad who were great...they already have Azinger).

Does anyone else think Randolph Edward Morrissett III would be a better choice for NBC to have as an architecture commentator than Gil?


TS

Nope!

[cary lichtenstein]

please bring back Johnny Miller

[John Emerson]

I don’t understand the disdain for Miller?  He (almost) always has something decent to say.  He can get off the rails a bit here and there, but the good far outweighs the bad.

[Erik J. Barzeski]

I don’t understand the disdain for Miller?  He (almost) always has something decent to say.  He can get off the rails a bit here and there, but the good far outweighs the bad.

+1

[Garland Bayley]

Hopefully Johnny Miller is in the booth.  He is synonymous with the US Open to me.  Plus I like hearing about this 63 at Oakmont.

Trouble maker!

 

[Pete_Pittock]

NBC also picks up the "lesser" USGA tournaments, too?

[Garland Bayley]

NBC also picks up the "lesser" USGA tournaments, too?

The article I read says they will be broadcasting the men's and women's Ams. I.e., Bandon will be on NBC.

And, maybe Johnny will opine on Bandon, and we can all learn to love him like Brent does.

[JMEvensky]

I don’t understand the disdain for Miller?  He (almost) always has something decent to say.  He can get off the rails a bit here and there, but the good far outweighs the bad.

+1

+2


I've never read that JM was asked to retire--only that he'd had enough. Azinger makes Curtis Strange sound erudite. Never have understood how PA landed a gig that required intelligent discourse.

[David_Tepper]

https://www.geoffshackelford.com/homepage/2020/6/29/sbj-fox-initiated-us-open-chats-two-months-ago-never-fit-into-networks-plans

[David Federman]

One big difference between Miller and Azinger is that Miller does the work - he walks the course every morning; checks the pins; rolls balls and knows the way the green breaks; understands the course; Azinger seems to be winging it from the seat of his pants. Miller adds value to the broadcast; Azinger adds cliches.  But I doubt we will see Miller back in the booth, although you never know.

[Ryan Taylor]

I thought Fox made a very smart move hiring Gil Hanse to talk architecture and was looking forward to hearing his first-person takes on Winged Foot, The Country Club, and Los Angeles Country Club. Hope NBC picks him up (along with Shane and Brad who were great...they already have Azinger).

IMO Shane, Brad and Julie delivered an informed blend of golf, expert competitive opinion and organic architectural insight.

Agree with these opinions. I would like to see CBS try and pick up Shane and NBC pick up Faxon. Shane could serve as an understudy and ultimately replace Nantz and Faxon could share analyst duties with Azinger. NBC is pretty stacked with hosts and play-by-play guys ~ Lerner, Hicks, Gannon and Tirico. Plus, Nantz = 61 vs. Hicks = 58. Faxon could come in and take some of the pressure off of Azinger. It feels like Azinger is trying to do too much and has pretty much been a miss after taking over for Johnny. Opinions? Predictions??

[Steve Lapper]

 As much as many of us would wish, it's far more likely NBC avoids picking up any of the Fox golf talent. NBC Sports is shedding payrolls and costs as swiftly as possible. They now have zero risk in assigning their current contracted talent to the USGA events.


  Someone like Gil might be the only chance, as I'd speculate that his expertise comes at a cheaper price than most of the other on-air male talent. I know....it's a cynical and sad way to look at it, but when the corporate green-shades are driving the decision-making, that's where most of the probabilities and expected outcomes fall.


  Now if they approached one Randolph Morrissett they wouldn't have to offer more than a very minor expense account to upgrade his wardrobe!