There will be fewer commercials during this week’s broadcast of the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
Mastercard, the presenting sponsor of the annual PGA Tour stop at Bay Hill, will have its traditional commercial load repurposed for live golf segments that focus on interactions between players and caddies.
The rollout, part of the PGA Tour’s Fan Forward initiative, will begin Thursday and through Sunday on both Golf Channel and NBC.
“In addition to wanting more live golf action, fans are telling us they are more entertained when they can see and hear a player’s pre-shot process in the heat of the competition, and we are excited to work with Mastercard and NBC/Golf Channel to step back and allow fans to experience those intimate, real-time interactions during the telecast this week,” said PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan. “Through Fan Forward, our fans are providing a roadmap for innovation and experimentation across every area of the Tour – and while there is no single enhancement that will change everything for the better – the ability and willingness to test new features, in concert with our players and partners, is key to giving fans more content choices and deeper access to the PGA Tour and its stars.”
These types of player-caddie exchanges have been popular among viewers, who, the Tour says, want to learn more about the strategy behind a shot; a conversation between Collin Morikawa and caddie J.J. Jakovac earlier this year at Kapalua was especially well received, both live and later online. Even as slow play remains a hot-button topic, the thought is that informative segments such as player-caddie convos could help better fill the time where the ball isn’t in motion.
And so that broadcasters can cede the audio space to the players and caddies, graphics will be used to explain what is happening.
“It’s all about bringing fans closer to their passion for golf, giving them even more access to the players, their caddies and the strategies that are defining the course of play. Fans can also drive the conversation through a new social-first initiative, connecting them to their favorite golf personalities,” said Raja Rajamannar, CMO an COO of Mastercard. “Together, we’re taking the viewing experience to the next level.”
“We are always going to support initiatives that enable the viewers and golf fans to see more live golf shots, and this is a creative way to work with our partners at the PGA TOUR and Mastercard to do that at the Arnold Palmer Invitational,” said Tom Knapp, EVP, Golf, NBC Sports.
