PGA Tour Aims For Connection With Millennials Via Skratch TV Video Network

The recently launched Skratch TV is the PGA Tour’s "boldest foray into the new Wild West media landscape -- so much so that the treasured PGA Tour brand will not be prominently associated with Skratch TV, for fear of alienating pro golf’s core audience," according to John Paul Newport of the WALL STREET JOURNAL. PGA Tour Exec VP/TV & Digital Media Rick Anderson said, “This stands for something different." Newport wrote fans should not "expect Kardashian-level tackiness" when the Internet video network fully rolls out in April. Anderson said that the Tour "will be 'mindful' of the content ... and not allow itself to be embarrassed." But Newport wrote, "Clearly it is hoping to push some boundaries." The network's slogan is "Golf. But Louder," and it is "easy to imagine Skratch TV is a terrible idea, some clueless grown-up's notion of what young people these days might find groovy." But "to its credit, the Tour did choose an operating partner" in N.Y.-based Bedrocket that has "considerable street cred." Bedrocket Founder & CEO Brian Bedol said, "If you try to communicate in the old way on the new devices, you are going to lose.” Newport noted all of the "snippets produced by Bedrocket so far are shorter than two minutes." Bedol: “Shareable and snackable. Sixty-five to 70% of the kind of video we produce is consumed on mobile devices.” Newport noted many of the videos "will feature PGA Tour players and Tour action." From the PGA Tour’s perspective, there is "not much downside to the Skratch TV experiment, especially because it is protecting its brand." The "primary potential upside is revenue down the road from millennials whose interest is piqued now and could develop later into bona fide golf fans" (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 2/21).