With Tiger Woods returning to competitive golf Thursday, GOLFWEEK's Martin Kaufmann spent the first round of the Hero World Challenge in the analysts' viewing room at Golf Channel. Analysts Trevor Immelman, Brandel Chamblee and Frank Nobilo "think about golf on a whole different level" than 99% of their viewers. Kaufmann: "The four hours I spent with them, off camera, Thursday was Ph.D.-level stuff. I only wished that viewers could have pushed a button on their TV remotes and joined me in eavesdropping on the analysts’ running commentary about Woods’ round. I found it fascinating" (GOLFWEEK.com, 11/30).
SLAM DUNK: USA TODAY's Michael Singer noted the NBA's TV ratings are "up substantially from last season." Last week’s Warriors-Thunder game was ESPN's "most watched regular season game" (3.2 million viewers) since Christmas of '16. TNT’s opening-night broadcast between the Cavaliers and Celtics was the "second-most watched season-opening telecast in the network’s history with an average of 5.6 million viewers." It "doesn’t hurt" that the Knicks are a "playoff contender with a budding MVP candidate." Also, the 76ers are "finally healthy and flourishing" and the Lakers are "playing well enough to be a legitimate free agent destination" (USA TODAY, 12/1).
AT THE TABLE: NBC's Rebecca Lowe will serve as the host of the net's daytime coverage from the Int'l Broadcast Center for the Pyeongchang Games. Liam McHugh will host primetime and late night on NBCSN, and Carolyn Manno will handle late night and morning hosting duties on NBCSN. McHugh will also host Olympic Ice, a new live daily figure skating preview show on NBCSN. Ahmed Fareed will host daytime NBCSN coverage, and Fred Roggin will host curling on CNBC -- both from NBC Sports Group’s Int'l Broadcast Center in Stamford, Conn. (NBC).
