Turner Sports Technology Par For PGA Championship Whistling Straits
Turner Sports plans unprecedented digital coverage of the 2015 PGA Championship at Whistling Straits for U.S. golf fans interested in watching and engaging on TV, computers and mobile devices with compelling sport content generated by the 97th version of the last professional golf major tournament of the year. For the 25th consecutive PGA Championship, Turner Sports will enhance their exclusive live televised coverage with a variety of digital platforms, apps and devices that provide never before seen drone footage, unique Swing Vision performance analysis and the PGA.com LIVE Video Player, and much more. The sports technology enhancements for this prized event provided by Turner Sports follows up on the Fox Sports powered U.S. Open at Chambers Bay broadcast that set the ceiling high in terms of new industry standards. The Sports Techie community blog has more Turner Sports blogs covering their portfolio of properties, sports tech products and social media initiatives readable at this link. Enjoy watching new superstar Jordan Spieth try and match fading Tiger Woods as the last PGA Tour golfer to win three major championships in one year.
PGA Championship Live Streams
Thousands of golf fans watching August 13 to 16, combined with the millions of connected fans on television and through the web on a smartphone, tablet, smart tv and OTT device, can all look forward to a multimedia PGA Championship feature set and live video streaming including 18 hours of exclusive live golf on TNT. This marks TNT’s 17th straight year of producing a broadcast of the event. From 2-8 p.m. EST, look for six hours on Thursday followed by six additional hours on Friday as the golfers try to make the weekend cut. Third and Fourth round live coverage continues on Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. ET. Sports Emmy Award-winning host Ernie Johnson leads the TNT broadcast crew of analyst, Ian Baker-Finch, course reporter Billy Kratzert, and pre- and post-round interviews conducted by Vince Cellini.
Fans will also be able to view simulcast broadcast coverage of the tournament via PGA.com. TNT viewers are required to log in with a user name and password provide by TV service providers. The CBS coverage on Saturday and Sunday will not require log in. PGA Championship LIVE’s Marquee Group coverage is set with play-by-play announcer Brian Katrek, analyst Michael Breed, and course reporters Ted Tryba and Fred Albers.
PGA.com is managed by Turner Sports. They offer live streaming via PGA Championship LIVE, presented by Mercedes-Benz. PGA Championship LIVE is a Sports Emmy Award winner where fans can find social content and discover new interactive online features like the shot-by-shot laser-generated data for the marquee group, or the alternative live leaderboard sorted by group and players on the course.
Fans have the option to select from multiple live video streams footage of Marquee Groups and Par-3 coverage. At any time, users have direct access to the TV broadcast and interviews conducted from the media room. PGA Championship LIVE will be available on desktop, iOS and Android tablets, smartphones and the PGA Championship TV App, designed exclusively for Samsung Smart TVs.
Use the PGA Championship TV App on select Samsung Smart TV platforms as a unique opportunity to enjoy a second screen experience tailored for watching from home, office or on the road. Open “Broadcast Mode” for a custom UI option and complementary live viewing feeds. Samsung Smart TV also offers golf fans exclusive Samsung “All-Access” PGA Championship content. This free service streams the live Marquee Group, Par-3 coverage and the new 4K All-Access Video On-Demand. It’s also loaded with live scoring, player information, social conversations, and picture galleries. The PGA Championship TV App will be released before the tournament starts.
On Tuesday, Aug. 11, the PGA web site will also provide coverage of the PGA Championship Long Drive Competition where players have a chance to hit one shot to win a special money clip inspired by the same gift received for hitting the longest drive at the PGA Championship in 1963 by Jack Nicklaus.
Turner Sports Tech
The technical array of TNT and PGA.com fan experience enhancements are designed to complement the game for casual to hard core fans like my brother. FOX pioneered the use of drone camera footage at the US Open. Turner Sports for the first time will use drones to provide never before seen angles of drives, chips and putts, in addition to, unique Whistling Strait perspectives of the challenging and picturesque, Irish inspired hillsides and holes nuzzled next to the shores of Lake Michigan.
TNT Total Motion swing analysis data and animation helps viewers visualize proper mechanics. Golf Trax technology compiles laser-generated metrics and graphics that allow fans the ability to navigate and tour the course virtually, generate 360-degree hole views and see the direction of ball flight path by aerial perspective.
Use player locator tech to track the location of favorite players on the course. Big data fans will enjoy the debut of Qlik interactive data visualizations.
Social
The PGA.com Periscope account plans to share behind-the-scenes footage at the 2015 PGA Championship. Periscope video will also present a sneak peek into both the TNT and PGA.com productions, practice rounds and the fun long drive competition.
Look forward to Twitter Real Time Highlights sponsored by Chase. Twitter Sports needs to help the company generate new eyeballs so they implemented video highlights within the Twitter platform accessible from a handle. Fans at the championship have a Twitter social, picture posing opportunity at signs teamed with hashtag #ThisIsMajor in order to create social communication between attendees and online fans.
Additional cross-platform highlights:
TNT
- TNT Total Motion – A super slo-mo camera will deliver a definitive point of view for swing analysis and a review of specialty shots. Swing vision analysis will also utilize picture-in-picture animation.
- Golf Trax – Expanded for this year’s coverage with added laser generated data, TNT and PGA.com will provide viewers with a virtual tour of the course along with an aerial view of a player’s ball direction and a 360-degree view of each hole.
- Minute-By-Minute – Fans can follow up up-to-minute coverage, key moments, social content and discussion surrounding PGA Championship via the Minute-By-Minute stream on PGA.com website, mobile web and mobile apps.
- Marquee Group Shot-By-Shot – Laser-generated data will provide a graphical display of the shot-by-shot performance for each player in marquee group over all 18 holes at Whistling Straits.
- Video Highlights – Available across all platforms, PGA.com will offer highlights of key shots, while mobile users can opt-in for alerts to receive direct notifications when top moments occur.
- Interactive Content – In addition to the app, PGA.com will feature coverage of the PGA Championship through extensive editorial coverage, social integrations, live scoring, photo galleries and the debut of interactive data visualizations by Qlik.
Mobile
- Apps – A full suite of PGA Championship apps will return across phone and tablets. Both the Android app, sponsored by Samsung, and the iOS app, sponsored by Mercedes-Benz, will offer access to live video, news, Minute-By-Minute live updates, live scoring and a player locator, which allows users to track the location of their favorite players on the course.
- Mobile Website – In addition to the PGA Championship apps, the PGA.com mobile website will offer video, live scoring, news, photos and Minute-By-Minute live updates throughout the event.
- New Onsite Fan Features – The PGA of America and Turner Sports have partnered to upgrade the spectator experience at Whistling Straits, including a new “Binoculars” feature. Using Smart Bluetooth Beacon Technology, the enhancement will allow fans to easily identify player groups in close proximity to their location on the course. Fans on-site will also have the opportunity to access the new Minute-by-Minute feature, which presents real-time updates, highlights and photos to keep up with all the action across Whistling Straits. Guests will also be able to utilize expanded on-course Wi-Fi for better connectivity and access to digital content.
Social
- Periscope – The PGA.com Periscope account will give fans a behind-the-scenes look at the 2015 PGA Championship throughout the week, including a sneak peek into TNT and PGA.com’s extensive productions, as well as this year’s practice rounds and long drive competition.
- Countdown – Graphics featuring Whistling Straits stats, PGA Championship facts, historical moments and more will help fans count down to the 2015 PGA Championship.
- Twitter Real Time Highlights sponsored by Chase – Native video within the Twitter platform will allow PGA.com’s Twitter followers to watch the latest highlights from around the course.
- Press conferences – PGA.com’s Facebook and Twitter pages will provide followers with video and links to live press conferences on PGA.com.
- Twitter social sign – PGA Championship attendees will have a chance to pose for pictures alongside signs featuring the hashtags #ThisIsMajor, inviting general social conversation surrounding the event.
Sports Techie, lock into TNT Total Motion because slo-mo replay reveals what is visually hidden from recordings at faster frames per second. I like the use of beacon technology in the new Binoculars feature to assist fans with figuring out the location of players on the course using GPS and group criteria. The PGA Championship App and TV App are must do for fans that want a more robust digital fan experience.
Fans in attendance and those remote with smart devices ought to opt in for mobile device alerts if you want to be notified in real-time when noteworthy event and tournament news happens. Hook up the Guest Wi-Fi feed for increase connectivity and quick access to digital content, editorial and commentators.
I went to the 1998 PGA Championship held at Sahalee Country Club in Washington state when Vijay Singh hoisted the Wannamaker Trophy. I had a flip phone that day powered by AT&T that most likely couldn’t connect to the Internet because of all the concentrated phone traffic if I even had that option nearly 20 years ago. Turner Sports was just becoming a PGA Championship presence in 1998.
Golf is fighting to stay a mainstream business and is struggling to attract new millennial aged fans so sports technology-centric enhancements and competitive play to the last hole like the recent British Open won by American Zach Johnson, are the newest strategies for helping the sport grow nationwide and worldwide. The PGA and Turner Sports are providing cutting edge digital platform viewing options for cable users and cord cutters alike to follow along, be educated and enjoy the interactive golf action.
Thank you Turner Sports, PGA.com and TNT for sharing this PGA Championship news with our global followers.
See y’all later in Seattle, Atlanta and around the world.
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