NBC Sports will provide nearly 90 hours of programming coverage to THE PLAYERS Championship.
The network’s programming will appear on the Golf Channel and NBC, consisting of 22 hours of live tournament coverage May 11-14, as well as more than 60 hours of news, analysis and high-quality features.
“THE PLAYERS has a special knack for eliciting incredible golf theater for spectators experiencing the event in-person at TPC Sawgrass or those at home watching on TV,” said Mike McCarley, president of golf for NBC Sports Group. “THE PLAYERS has become a truly unique event on the professional golf schedule, and in partnership with the PGA TOUR, our award-winning production team is well equipped to cover the drama from every conceivable angle.”
Tournament broadcast team
NBC Sports’ live tournament coverage will be hosted by Mike Tirico, while Dan Hicks and Hall of Famer Johnny Miller will be positioned in the 18th tower during weekend coverage on NBC. Terry Gannon and Hall of Famer Nick Faldo will oversee the 18th tower during early-round coverage on the Golf Channel, with Hicks and 1999 PLAYERS champion David Duval also contributing.
The remainder of the broadcast team for all four rounds will include Gary Koch, Peter Jacobsen and 1998 PLAYERS champion Justin Leonard in tower positions, with Roger Maltbie, David Feherty, Mark Rolfing and Notah Begay reporting from inside the ropes. Steve Sands will conduct interviews with players, while Jimmy Roberts will offer essays.
Special production elements
NBC Sports’ production team will cover every vantage point of the iconic par 3, 17th hole and its island green, with a total of nine high-definition cameras, including a microscopic lens embedded in the lip of the tiny bunker fronting the green. The popular cable-suspended “Supra Cam” camera system will return, providing unique angles over the body of water between the par 5 16th and 17th hole greens.
A camera crane operator will be stationed 150 feet in the air above the tree line showcasing aerial shots of the 16th, 17th, and 18th holes. Another camera operator will be ferried to the small island near the 17th green to capture reactions of those in the field as they putt-out on 17. Coverage also will incorporate the use of wind-direction technology to track conditions throughout the golf course, including both on the tee box and high above the 17th hole.
For more information on NBC Sports Group’s coverage, visit http://www.golfchannel.com/news/press-releases/nbc-sports-group-announces-coverage-plans-ahead-players-may-8-14/.
