Golf Channel President, David Manougian, and Ken Schofield, Executive Director of The European Tour, have announced an agreement that will guarantee the 24 hour a day cable network as the exclusive home of European Tour events telecast in the United States, Canada and Japan through 2007.
The Golf Channel, which featured the Dubai Desert Classic as its five-ever tournament telecast in 1995, has played a major role in bringing the European Tour to prominence in the United States, while establishing many of its players as household names among golf fans.
The European Tour’’s International Schedule features more than 45 tournaments each year played on many of the most famous and picturesque courses in the world. In 2002, The European Tour will visit no fewer than 22 countries with a truly international leaderboard each week.
South Africa’’s Retief Goosen, the 2001 US Open Champion, is seeking to retain the Volvo Order of Merit title won by England’’s Lee Westwood in 2000 and Scotland’’s Colin Montgomerie a record seven consecutive times from 1993 to 1999.
Denmark’’s Thomas Björn, Argentina’’s Angel Cabrera and José Coceres, New Zealand’’s Michael Campbell, Ireland’’s Darren Clarke, Padraig Harrington and Paul McGinley, the United States’’s John Daly, South Africa’’s Ernie Els, Sweden’’s Niclas Fasth, Spain’’s Sergio Garcia and José Maria Olazábal, Germany’’s Bernhard Langer, Australia’’s Adam Scott and Fiji’’s Vijay Singh compete regularly on The European Tour International Schedule, which also counts among its Members Seve Ballesteros, Nick Faldo and Ian Woosnam.
The new agreement, which officially begins with the 2004 season, calls for The Golf Channel to televise a minimum 32 European Tour events each year. This year, The Golf Channel expects to televise at least 34 European Tour events.
“We’’re doubly pleased with the new agreement because not only has The European Tour been a great partner, but their product is fantastic as well” said Manougian. “This continued agreement allows us to showcase great golfers from around the world in some of the most interesting venues you’’ll ever see.”
Ken Schofield, Executive Director of The European Tour, said: “This long-term agreement reflects the outstanding commitment we enjoy from The Golf Channel. We launched our partnership in 1995 with Joe Gibbs, the co-founder of The Golf Channel, and Bob Greenway, Senior Vice President, and we are delighted to congratulate and thank David Manougian and all the members of his staff. We now look forward to continuing our excellent partnership with The Golf Channel and further enhancing our desire to broaden the appeal of the game throughout the world.”
This agreement also gives The Golf Channel exclusive broadcast rights in Japan to the 2002, 2004 and 2006 Ryder Cup Matches and The Golf Channel will also continue to bring viewers European Tour Weekly, the popular magazine show.
The Golf Channel is the leading global provider of golf entertainment, information and services. Approaching 50 million subscribers, including Canada, Japan, the United States and other international territories, The Golf Channel offers unprecedented reach to the highly desirable target market of golfing enthusiasts with a potential audience of more than 100 million now watching live coverage of The European Tour.
The Golf Channel is available throughout the United States, Canada and Asia through cable, satellite and wireless television providers. The programming schedule includes more live golf coverage than all other networks combined. Its first live televised tournament was the Dubai Desert Classic in January 1995, two days after the official network launch on January 17. The Golf Channel now employs more than 300 people in Orlando, Florida, corporate headquarters of the studios.
