ORLANDO, Fla., Sept. 25 -- Enjoying a year filled with significant momentum and numerous enhancements to its programming lineup, The Golf Channel has announced the addition of 4.7 million incremental subscribers through a restructured agreement with satellite provider DIRECTV.
The Golf Channel will be included in DIRECTV's Total Choice Plus package,
the company's second-most penetrated tier-offering to which more than 6.5
million customers subscribe. With its current cable and satellite home
Nielsen subscriber count at nearly 62 million, the new deal with DIRECTV will
allow The Golf Channel to reach into more than 67 million homes in the United
States as it approaches its 10th anniversary. Coupled with steady growth from
its cable partners, Golf Channel executives predict to be at or near the 70
million milestone by the end of 2004.
"We're excited that this agreement with DIRECTV will make our programming
available to millions of new viewers," said David Manougian, president of The
Golf Channel. "DIRECTV has been a great partner and it is gratifying that
they recognize significant value in offering The Golf Channel to an expanded
base of their customers."
As television's first, truly niche sports network, The Golf Channel set
the standard for other emerging niche networks. One of the most sought-after
viewer demographic profiles combined with quality shows programmed for a
passionate audience has fueled interest in doing business with The Golf
Channel around the world.
In addition to these domestic numbers and long-time distribution in Canada
and Japan -- and on the heels of launching a 24-hour-a-day channel in the
United Kingdom in late 2003 -- The Golf Channel this year has consummated
deals to carry its programming in Korea, Hong Kong, Philippines and throughout
Scandinavia.
The Golf Channel (http://www.thegolfchannel.com), co-founded by Arnold
Palmer and owned by Comcast Corp., features a programming schedule that
includes more live golf coverage than any other network -- an extensive blend
of golf competition from around the world -- as well as news, instruction and
original productions, such as the popular realty series The Big Break.
In addition to being the exclusive television home of the Nationwide Tour,
European Tour and Canadian Tour, The Golf Channel is the exclusive cable home
of the Champions Tour and televises other competition from the LPGA Tour,
USGA, PGA of America, PGA Tour of Australasia and Sunshine Tour of Southern
Africa.
