The PGA Tour today announced new nine-year TV agreements with CBS and NBC through '21. The expiration of these deals now coincides with the PGA Tour's deal with Golf Channel. CBS will continue its current broadcast package, an average of 20 tournaments each season through the life of the agreement, while NBC will continue to televise an average of 10 events per year (PGA Tour). THE DAILY's John Ourand reports on Twitter that PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem today said the deals allow simulcast coverage on PGATour.com, CBSSports.com, NBCSports.com and GolfChannel.com. Finchem would not give specific financial terms of the contracts, saying only, "Rights are increasing" (TWITTER.com, 9/1).
BEST FOOT FORWARD: Fox Sports formally announced yesterday that it will air several EPL games on Sundays this season, a first for U.S. broadcast television. Fox kicks off the effort with tape-delayed coverage of the Sept. 18 Chelsea-Manchester United match, followed by similar plans for Arsenal-Tottenham on Oct. 2 and Liverpool-Chelsea on Nov. 20. The network’s EPL coverage during the '11-12 season concludes with live coverage of a game with undetermined opponents on Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 5. Fox also announced the Oct. 30 launch of "UFC Primetime," a 60-minute show ahead of the MMA promotion’s network TV debut on Nov. 12 (Fox Sports).
IT'S A WRAP: Last night was the season finale of Showtime’s “The Franchise: A Season With the San Francisco Giants.” Giants P Jeremy Affeldt, when asked what his experience was during the filming of the series, jokingly said, “I didn’t really enjoy a whole lot. The cameras are always in our face and they’re always getting in the way of things. So I’m glad we’re done with you guys.” Giants P Matt Cain said, “They’re saying, ‘Hey, we’re going to be flies on the wall. We’re going to shoot, we’re going to be out of you guys’ hair.’ You hear somebody say that and then all of a sudden, you’re thinking, ‘Alright, they’re just going to say that to try to get us to do it.’ But it’s been actually really, really good” (“The Franchise: A Season With the San Francisco Giants,” Showtime, 8/31).
NOTES: Golf Digest signed golfer Paula Creamer as an exclusive playing editor to provide bylined instruction and feature content for the magazine on a regular basis. Creamer will provide instruction tips and articles for the print and online publications, including a regular “Paula Tips” column in the Golf Digest Women section (Golf Digest)….NESN announced two new original series to debut in September. “AT&T Schooled: NESN’s College Face Off” will begin a seven episode series on Sept. 6 and “Inside Roush Fenway Racing” will air weekly beginning Sept. 13 (NESN).
