Golf Channel's move from Orlando to Stamford was "a long time coming," and if "not for a large degree of reverence for Arnold Palmer, the move might've happened years earlier," according to Brendan Quinn of THE ATHLETIC. NBC held studio space in Connecticut that "could easily accommodate the network, so it was always a matter of when, not if, it would relocate there." In recent years, NBC and Comcast "had visions of Golf Channel moving to Stamford." One source said that the Orlando operation was "seen as 'hugely inefficient' and by moving to Stamford, where NBC Sports Group has been headquartered since 2011, the network could streamline operations, resources and infrastructure." The network that Palmer and Joe Gibbs helped create, however, "ceased to exist a long time ago." The Orlando Business Journal has reported 342 layoffs among the 800 employees, and sources indicted that it is "not the entire extent of the cuts at Golf Channel." Furthermore, the cuts "were coming whether the virus changed the world or not." The net is "expected to dramatically reduce if not outright eliminate original productions." Moving forward, the plan is for Golf Channel "to go live from Stamford on Jan. 4, 2021." Sources indicated that on-air tournament broadcasts "will be mostly unaffected." Changes "could be coming for brands such as 'Golf Central' and 'Morning Drive.'" Much of the on-air talent "has been retained" (THEATHLETIC.com, 9/16).
