[hackman21]

Seems bizarre that the golf is in HD but only a handful of NFL games?

[Starburst]

Perhaps the cost of the Golf was reasonable and the NFL wasn't or that there is more demand for HD feeds for the golf making that aspect cheaper. There is also a lot more gold for your money than NFL.

Common theme here which is money and that is the cornerstone of HD offerings and take up, nothing about HD is cheap

[Mike_CA]

I suspect the reason is the difference in contracts that were signed between the US networks and the PGA, NFL, or any other sport. Long term contracts (except Super Bowl) were signed about 5 years ago for the NFL with NBC (AFC) and CBS (NFC). At that time, HD was not very big outside of US, Canada, Austrailia, and Japan and the value of HD feeds to other countries couldn't be determined so that probably wasn't defined in the contract.

Even though the NFL has the exclusive right to negotiate HD rights with other countries, the NFL is dependent on the networks to produce and distribute the games. From the NFL point of view, they would probably like to distribute the HD feed to Sky at a low price (feed cost only or just a little more) in the hopes that viewership will increase allowing them to get more money in the future when the new contract is signed with Sky. However, there isn't any benefit for NBC or CBS without additional payments to them so I suspect that the networks are playing hardball asking for a lot of money to use the HD feed outside the US.

However, beginning last year the PGA signed a new long term contract (expect major tournaments) with NBC (previously ESPN/ABC had the rights) and I suspect that the PGA has the right under the contract to distribute the NBC HD feed to any country in the world at either no or a small additional cost.

Also recently ESPN/ABC renegotiated an extension of the contract with the IRL (Indy Racing League) and I suspect that HD rights were fully defined in the contact. If the IRL is the next sport to be shown on a regular basis in the UK (even though it probably doesn't have a very big viewership), then I suspect the problem is caused by old contracts.

Sports contracts are different from normal programming contracts in that the network produces the program but the sports association owns the rights. For normal programming, the producer owns the rights.

WWE is a very good example of quick distribution overseas when conditions are right. Even though it may be classified as a sport, it is produced and all rights are owned by the WWE. Within a couple of months after the WWE started broadcasting HD in the US, HD contracts were signed with Sky for distribution in the UK.

[Bachstrad]

It might also have something to do with the fact that Golf is a majority sport by comparison. How many people in the UK play golf compared to American Football?

There are also quite a few UK & European players taking part in the World Championship Tournament that's currently being shown in HD.

ATB

Max

[y2k]

If you ask someone from the U.K. who Dwight Freeney was your answer would probably be Dwight who!!! but the same people could probably name at least 5+ golfers.

[Mike_CA]

I agree that golf is probably significantly more popular in the UK than the NFL. However, it appears that many sports that were late at starting HD broadcasts (or have never regularly broadcast in HD) in the US have lost viewership over the past several years. Sports such as golf, IRL, downhill skiing, and track and field seem to have lost some viewership over the past several years in the US.

The reason that I believe viewership has suffered is that when ABC/ESPN had the rights to golf but did not broadcast in HD, more of the golf broadcasts were carried on ESPN (only about 60% the US households get ESPN) instead of ABC as the years went by. Now that NBC has the rights to golf and has been broadcasting all golf tournaments on NBC in HD for over a year, I suspect the viewership has increased.

The same is true with the IRL. Several years ago about 75% of the races were on ABC but last year only about 25% were on ABC (all the others were on ESPN). This will be the 1st year that the IRL races will be shown in HD so maybe the viewership will increase.

Downhill racing and track and field have almost completely disappeared from the major networks and are not broadcasted in HD.

On the other hand, extreme sports (which started to broadcast in HD several years ago) seems to gained viewership.

I would think that the NFL would not like to be behind the curve for HD in the UK or the NFL may go the way of downhill skiing and track and field in the US.

[derek500]

Originally Posted by Mike_CA

The reason that I believe viewership has suffered is that when ABC/ESPN had the rights to golf but did not broadcast in HD, more of the golf broadcasts were carried on ESPN (only about 60% the US households get ESPN) instead of ABC as the years went by. Now that NBC has the rights to golf and has been broadcasting all golf tournaments on NBC in HD for over a year, I suspect the viewership has increased.

I thought The Golf Channel, which is not available in all homes, won the Thursday/Friday rights for the majority of events on the PGA Tour, with weekends split between NBC and CBS. On some of the 'smaller' events, TGC have rights for all four days.

Next year, a similar arrangement starts in the UK, when BBC lose the Thursday/Friday coverage to Sky on all their European Tour events bar The Open.

Also, in the US before The Golf Channel deal the PGA rights were shared amongst ABC, NBC and CBS.

[Mike_CA]

Originally Posted by derek500

I thought The Golf Channel, which is not available in all homes, won the Thursday/Friday rights for the majority of events on the PGA Tour, with weekends split between NBC and CBS. On some of the 'smaller' events, TGC have rights for all four days.

Next year, a similar arrangement starts in the UK, when BBC lose the Thursday/Friday coverage to Sky on all their European Tour events bar The Open.

Also, in the US before The Golf Channel deal the PGA rights were shared amongst ABC, NBC and CBS.

You are right that the Golf Channel broadcasts Thursdays and Fridays events. The major networks have never broadcast golf on Thursdays and Fridays (previously those were broadcast on UHD, TNT, TBS, USA, or ESPN depending on who owned the rights).

For about 10 years until last year, I believe ABC/ESPN owned the PGA rights and it now appears that NBC and CBS are sharing the rights. However, the majors (Masters, PGA Championship, and US Open) have always been sold seperately.

You are also correct about the Golf Channel having the rights to all four days of some minor tournaments. Two weeks ago there was a minor tournament in Cancun Mexico and this week there was another tournment that was in Porta Rico and both of those (both were PGA tournaments) were broadcast on the Golf Channel for all four days in widescreen SD. However, those same weeks there were PGA tournaments in the US that were broadcast in HD by the Golf Channel and NBC.

Thrusday and Friday golf have never been available to all US households since UHD, TNT, TBS, USA, ESPN, and the Golf Channel are only available on expanded cable or SAT. About 15% of the Americans have only OTA (over the air) and another 25% only have basic cable which do not include those channels. However, HD is available with OTA or basic cable for the major networks.

[Stephen Neal]

It will be down to viewing figures I guess. NFL, outside the SuperBowl, won't rate that significantly in the UK - whereas a lot of Golf rates VERY highly.

[hdsport]

Originally Posted by Stephen Neal

It will be down to viewing figures I guess. NFL, outside the SuperBowl, won't rate that significantly in the UK - whereas a lot of Golf rates VERY highly.

Depends on what golf the normal PGA Tour I believe used to rate quite poorly (30-40,000 viewers) before it went to Setanta where has NFL has a good hardcore base that delivers good figures for SKY apparently.

I think there is also a capacity issue as well with SKY for 16:9 studio's until they move to their new studios. Although they are finally showing Masters Tennis in 16:9 so hopefully we'll get 16:9 SD at least for next season.

[derek500]

Originally Posted by Mike_CA

For about 10 years until last year, I believe ABC/ESPN owned the PGA rights and it now appears that NBC and CBS are sharing the rights. However, the majors (Masters, PGA Championship, and US Open) have always been sold seperately.

Up to 2006 when Sky Sports showed the PGA Tour NBC/CBS/ABC all had rights to different events.

One week we would have David Feherty, Peter Costas etc. commentating for CBS, the next week Nick Faldo, Paul Azinger and Peter Alliss on ABC and other weeks Johnny Miller (I think) on NBC.

[Mike_CA]

After investing the 2006 PGA schedule, it appears you are correct again and ABC, CBS, and NBC did share the PGA tournaments with ABC having the lions share.

Also when I was investigating, USATODAY indicated that the Tour's average broadcast ratings have fallen about 19% in the last four years as of the end of 2005. I wonder how much that had to do with very limited HD coverage up to that time.