Tiger Woods has signed a deal to develop content for Discovery and the PGA Tour’s streaming service GolfTV, which launches internationally in 20 different territories next year.
The 14-time Major champion will give weekly lessons and unprecedented (for him) access to GolfTV’s cameras. Subscribers will get to see Woods collect his thoughts before and after rounds. He’ll also take viewers on the road and give access to his preparation routines.
Due to live-event TV rights being claimed domestically by other platforms through 2021, GolfTV will not be available in the U.S. At least, not for a while. In theory, however, the Woods content could be shopped to an existing outlet.
While terms of the deal were not disclosed, Woods, who just lost that $9 million Black Friday round against Phil Mickelson on their fourth playoff hole, had a TON to say about the pact.
Here are Woods’ first thoughts, straight from the media release:
I’ve been watching Discovery and David Zaslav build up a global sports platform with Eurosport, the Olympics and the launch of GolfTV with us at the PGA Tour, so I think they’re the perfect partner to help grow the game. They’re global, they get sports and know how to build new, younger and big audiences. It’s a perfect fit and I’m so excited to be a real partner with the Discovery Sports team.
And more:
I love the vision of GolfTV and the ambition for it to become the premier destination for golf entertainment worldwide. To have my own platform to communicate is the culmination of a lot of hard work from my team and the team at Discovery. We’re going to build content for everyone, whether you’ve been playing golf for a long time or just starting out. I’ll be sharing stories and giving insight into my approach that has never been seen before. This is such an exciting time for golf and for me, so to be part of the vision to grow the game all around the world is fantastic. I can’t wait to share my knowledge on GolfTV.
I want to talk to golf fans and golfers everywhere, directly, and straight from me. That’s important to me. Talking about what we care about: what’s happening on the course, how to play better, how can I shoot lower scores tomorrow, how can I beat my friends? David explained how GolfTV is for the fans and the players, a single place they’ll all want to go, and he’s building something everyone will want.
He wasn’t done there:
Getting the chance to do instruction is exciting. I’ve always been focused on my own game and this experience can help players everywhere. Whether you’re a long-time player or a beginner, there are some things that help us all play better. It’s one way I want to give back to people who love the game like I do. If I can help the next generation enjoy the game more and play better, that’s pretty special.
Finally. Zaslav’s turn:
“I am excited to welcome Tiger to the Discovery family and to GolfTV, a true superstar joining our company of world-class storytellers and brands. At the heart of Discovery is high-quality storytelling, told through the most authentic, credible and trusted voices,” David Zaslav, president and CEO, Discovery, said. “Tiger is the ultimate example of a world-class athlete and cultural figure with whom audiences are enamored, and follow closely around the world. Our global partnership with Tiger is a perfect example of our strategy to collaborate exclusively with top talent to extend global media platforms, and take advantage of our international distribution and technology infrastructure and aggregate audiences and build long-term value.”
“With Tiger joining us, I am confident that GolfTV will be the new gold standard for comprehensive sports streaming, nourishing golf fans when and where they want to consume what they are most passionate about,” Zaslav continued.
Alex Kaplan, president and general manager, Discovery Golf, added: “It’s a privilege for us to welcome Tiger to the GolfTV team. No one else in the game resonates globally the way Tiger does or has the global fan base, and he has great wisdom to share, on and off the course. We’re thrilled to give him the global platform to do just that, and to provide our audience in more than 200 markets and territories a closer look at Tiger on the greens and behind the scenes.
“Our long-term partnership with Tiger reflects our broader ambition as we roll-out the service over the coming years, seeking to grow GolfTV into a true ecosystem for all things golf: watching, learning and playing,” Kaplan said.
GolfTV will present more than 2,000 hours of live-action each year — including live coverage of The Players Championship, the FedExCup Playoffs and the Presidents Cup — as well as a bunch of on-demand content.