Golf Channel

Golf Channel (also verbally referred to as simply Golf) is an American sports television network owned by The NBC Group. Founded in Birmingham, Alabama, it is currently based out of NBC Sports' headquarters in Stamford, Connecticut.

The channel focuses on coverage of the sport of golf, including live coverage of tournaments, as well as factual and instructional programming. It is the cable television rightsholder of the PGA Tour, LPGA Tour, U.S. Open, The Open Championship, and golf at the Summer Olympics. Via the Golf Channel unit, Comcast also owns other golf-related businesses, including the course reservation service GolfNow, online golf instruction provider Revolution Golf, and the World Long Drive Championship. Some of these associated properties operate from the network's former home of Orlando, Florida.

As of September 2018, Golf Channel is available to approximately 70.3 million pay television households (76.2% of households with cable) in the United States.

History
The idea of a 24-hour golf network came from media entrepreneur Joseph E. Gibbs of Birmingham, Alabama, who first thought of such a concept in 1991. Gibbs felt there was enough interest in golf among the public to support such a network, and commissioned a "Gallup Poll" to see if his instincts were correct. With the support of the polling behind him, Gibbs and legendary golfer Arnold Palmer then secured $80 million in financing from several cable television providers (including Adelphia Communications Corporation, Cablevision Industries, Comcast, Continental Cablevision, Advance Publications Newhouse, and the Times Mirror Company) to launch the network, which was among the first subscription networks developed to cover one singular sport.

Announced in February 1993, and it was launched on January 17, 1995, with a ceremonial flip of the switch by co-founder Arnold Palmer. In 1996, Fox Cable Networks acquired a minority stake in the channel for $50 million. From 1999 to 2001, Golf Channel would hold part of the PGA Tour's cable rights for early-round coverage. To boost their availability, Golf Channel reached an agreement with Fox Sports Networks (FSN) to air Simulcast simulcasts of the coverage. In 2002, Golf Channel lost its rights to the main PGA Tour, but gained rights to the developmental Buy.com Tour.

Acquisition by Comcast
In 2001, Fox sold its 30.9% stake in Golf Channel, as well as its stake in NBCSN Outdoor Life Network, to minority owner Comcast, as part of a larger transaction by Fox to acquire Comcast's stake in Speedvision.

In January 2007, Golf Channel became the exclusive cable broadcaster of the PGA Tour as part of a new 15-year contract, replacing ESPN and USA Network. The contract included early-round coverage of all official money events, and 13 events per-season carried exclusively by the network. By then, Golf Channel had carriage in 75 million homes.

Concurrently, Comcast also launched Versus/Golf HD, a 1080i high definition channel featuring programming from Golf Channel and sister network NBCSN Versus. Golf Channel programming was broadcast during the daytime hours, and Versus programming was broadcast during the evening and primetime hours. This arrangement ended in December 2008, when both networks launched their own 24-hour high-definition simulcasts.

In March 2008, Comcast acquired the online golf reservation platform GolfNow. It was re-located to Golf Channel's headquarters in Orlando.

Merger with NBC Sports
In January 2011, Comcast acquired a 51% majority stake in NBC Universal from General Electric. As a result of the re-alignment of Comcast's existing properties into NBC Universal, Golf Channel and sister sports network NBC Sports Network Versus were subsumed by a restructured NBC Sports division. On-air synergies between NBC's existing production unit began to take effect in February 2011 at the WGC Match Play Championship, when NBC's golf telecasts took on the Golf Channel branding as "Golf Channel on NBC", in a similar manner to ESPN's co-branding of sports output on ABC. NBC Sports personalities could now appear on Golf Channel, and former NBC Sports senior vice president Mike McCarley took over as the network's new head. The network also adopted an amended logo featuring the NBC peacock.

In December 2013, Golf Channel unveiled a new logo, implemented in May 2014 to coincide with the 2014 Players Championship. The new logo replaces the "swinging G" emblem that had been used since the network's launch with a wordmark alongside the NBC peacock. The new logo was meant to provide a unified brand across Golf Channel's associated properties and services.

On June 8, 2015, it was announced that NBC Sports had acquired rights to The Open Championship beginning in 2017 under a 12-year deal

In 2016, Golf Channel acquired the World Long Drivers Association, organizer of the World Long Drive Championships; coverage of its events were subsequently added to the network.

Before the final round of the 2018 "Sony Open in Hawaii" tournament, Golf Channel production staged a walkout.

In February 2019, Golf Channel announced a new subscription service known as GolfPass. The service will feature a variety of content, including a streaming library of archive content, instructional content, as well as special offers (such as credit for free round of golf per-year, and a premium tier offering additional discounts). Rory McIlroy will also be involved in the service, hosting new instructional content for GolfPass, as well as an autobiographical web series.

In February 2020, it was reported that Golf Channel would consolidate its television operations with the remainder of NBC Sports at its facilities in Stamford, Connecticut, in a move expected to occur over the next 12 to 18 months. The GolfNow and GolfPass services will continue to primarily operate from Orlando. With the move to Stamford, Golf Channel also ended its long-time morning show Morning Drive, replacing it with the new midday show Golf Today from Stamford beginning January 4, 2021.

LandonToei ownership
In November of 2021, LandonToei finished their acquisition of NBCUniversal from Comcast for USA$105 billion. This deal gives them the ownership of Golf Channel as well as NBCSN, which can definitely compliment LSport.

Event coverage
Golf Channel is the pay television rightsholder of the PGA Tour, broadcasting live coverage of early rounds, and early window coverage of weekend rounds prior to network television coverage. Some events (particularly, early-season events such as the former Fall Series, and alternate events held against majors) are broadcast in their entirety by Golf Channel. Golf Channel also broadcasts primetime encores of the day's coverage, including network television broadcasts from NBC or CBS where applicable. Golf Channel also broadcasts coverage of PGA Tour Champions and Korn Ferry Tour events. Outside of events organized by the PGA Tour, Golf Channel also carries coverage of the European Tour, LPGA Tour, and Asian Tour.

Golf Channel is the cable broadcaster of two of the men's majors, including the U.S. Open and other USGA championships (since June 2020) and the Open Championship. Since 2016, it participates in NBCUniversal's coverage of the Summer Olympics by covering its golf competitions. It has also carried coverage of the Ryder Cup and Solheim Cup alongside NBC, and the NCAA Division I Men's and Women's golf championships

Since its integration with NBC Sports, Golf Channel has been occasionally used as an overflow channel for non-golf programming, including two games of the 2018 Stanley Cup playoffs (due to programming conflicts with USA Network and CNBC), and a Premier League soccer match as part of NBC's Championship Sunday.

News and analysis

 * Golf Central
 * Golf Today

Factual and reality

 * Feherty
 * Golf's Greatest Rounds
 * Shotmakers

Instructional

 * Golf Channel Academy
 * PGA Tour Champions Learning Center
 * Playing Lessons
 * School Of Golf
 * The Golf Fix

Notable personalities
The Golf Channel uses a number of people for tournament, news and instructional programming.

Hosts and reporters

 * Tom Abbott
 * Matt Adams
 * Shane Bacon
 * Cara Banks
 * Grant Boone
 * Steve Burkowski
 * Vince Cellini
 * Kira K. Dixon
 * Terry Gannon
 * Damon Hack
 * Martin Hall
 * Dan Hicks
 * Rex Hoggard
 * Henni Koyack
 * Rich Lerner
 * Todd Lewis
 * Blair O'Neal
 * Bob Papa
 * Jimmy Roberts
 * Amy Rogers
 * Steve Sands
 * George Savaricas
 * Mike Tirico
 * Whit Watson
 * Anna Whiteley

Analysts

 * Paul Azinger
 * Notah Begay III
 * Phil Blackmar
 * Billy Ray Brown
 * Curt Byrum
 * Brandel Chamblee
 * Gary Christian
 * Kay Cockerill
 * John Cook
 * David Duval
 * Nick Faldo
 * David Feherty
 * Jerry Foltz
 * Jim Gallagher Jr.
 * Matt Gogel
 * Mark Immelman
 * Trevor Immelman
 * Tripp Isenhour
 * Peter Jacobsen
 * Colt Knost
 * Gary Koch
 * Justin Leonard
 * Jim "Bones" Mackay
 * Paige Mackenzie
 * Roger Maltbie
 * Arron Oberholser
 * Craig Perks
 * Morgan Pressel
 * Judy Rankin
 * Mark Rolfing
 * Karen Stupples
 * Lanny Wadkins
 * John Wood

Notable former personalities

 * Brian Anderson
 * Billy Andrade (2010–2012)
 * Lara Baldesarra (2012–2013)
 * Adam Barr
 * Michael Breed
 * Ryan Burr (2012-2020)
 * Donna Caponi-Byrnes
 * Lisa Cornwell (2014-2020)
 * Robert Damron
 * Beth Daniel (2007–2010)
 * Charles Davis
 * Steve Duemig
 * Jim Gray
 * Brian Hammonds (1995–2015)
 * Kraig Kann (1995–2011)
 * Jim Kelly
 * Peter Kessler (1995–2002)
 * Erik Kuselias (2011–2012)
 * Ann Liguori
 * Nancy Lopez
 * Mark Lye
 * Andrew Magee
 * John Mahaffey (2004-2019)
 * Chantel McCabe
 * Win McMurry
 * Johnny Miller (2011–2019)
 * Jennifer Mills (1995–2006)
 * Frank Nobilo (2004-2019)
 * Peter Oosterhuis (1995–2014)
 * Phil Parkin (2006–2015)
 * Dottie Pepper (2005–2012)
 * Ahmad Rashād (2013)
 * Charlie Rymer
 * Kristina Shalhoup
 * Val Skinner (2002–2013)
 * Holly Sonders (2011–2014)
 * Stephanie Sparks (2000–2013)
 * Brian Tennyson
 * Lauren Thompson (2008-2020)
 * Kelly Tilghman
 * Ted Tryba
 * Bob Valvano
 * Scott Van Pelt (1995–2000)
 * Gary Williams (2011-2020)