In the preceding weeks, the Tour sent more than 200 hours worth of content to its international partners. The IT team worked to expand remote VPN access to all of its editors as the team scrambled to create packages for its TV partners.
In that way, the pandemic accelerated moves toward a more digital future of golf. As a result, the Tour now says it wants to move its media management entirely to the cloud. When it eventually does, the entire process — ingesting, logging, editing, producing and exporting footage — will all be hosted there.
“We were actually moving everything to the cloud already,” Raimondo told SVG. “We were preparing for that next step. What we learned from editing [remotely during the pandemic] will only help that cause.”
With cloud-computing technology, fans can now personalize their viewing experience during tournaments, choosing camera angles and toggling between competing players at will. By putting viewers in the driver seat, PGA is increasing fan engagement, which is paramount to the future of golf. Meanwhile, on the organization’s side, this transformative technology is cost-effective compared to a more static, traditional broadcast.
Another cause it will help is golf’s effort to attract a younger demographic, as Viz One also gives both the Tour and its partners access to highlights to cut for social media, where so many of those prospects reside.
On that note, CBS shook up its golf coverage last year, including its coverage of the PGA Tour, by modernizing its look with sharp new graphics, bold real-time analytics, and even an investment in drones and augmented reality.This fresh take on legacy broadcasting promises a new feel and a more exciting viewing experience for golf fans.
It’s clearly working too. In 2023, PGA Tour ratings increased across the board.
Does the Future of Golf Looks Greener?
Golf course maintenance requires enormous amounts of land, water, fertilizer and pesticides. In the United States alone, over 2 billion gallons of water are used every day to irrigate golf courses that occupy more than 2 million acres of land. Studies show that heavy pesticides used to maintain the courses create high toxicity levels affecting local residents and ecosystems.
Because of their outsized impact on the environment, some conservationists have called for the conversion of private and public golf courses to nature preserves. Others want to utilize the land to address the nation’s affordable housing crisis.