By Scott Hamilton, Staff Writer, SportsBusiness Journal
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Turner Sports New Media To
Help Enhance PGATOUR.com |
Turner Sports New Media, a division of Time Warner, and the PGA Tour announced a multi-year deal today to enhance PGATour.com beginning with the ’07 PGA Tour season. The partnership will create a unique cross-promotion between PGATour.com and PGA.com, the PGA of America’s Web site, which is also operated by Turner. Links will be provided directing visitors from PGATour.com to PGA.com, allowing Turner to manage roughly 70-80% of the online golf market. Terms of the deal were undisclosed, but Turner officials said the company has online and wireless rights and will recoup its investment through revenue from ad sales, as well as various subscription-based services. The Tour will continue to use its PGA Tour Production cameras, while Turner will produce and house the video. Turner Sports does not broadcast any PGA Tour tournaments, though it does broadcast PGA of America events on TNT and also manages NASCAR.com. “It’s a unique marriage in terms of having a fully distributed television and new media company partner with a major sports league and manage its online assets without carrying its events on television,” said Turner Sports President David Levy. CBS SportsLine’s seven-year agreement to run PGATour.com expires on January 1.
