Time Inc.’s GOLF debuts new weekly show, GOLF LIVE
Home Green Advantage builds a custom practice golf green for the show.
NEW YORK, NY – February 23, 2016 –– Today, Time Inc.’s GOLF debuts a new weekly show that will cover the game from all angles, featuring revealing interviews with players and golf-loving celebrities, thoughtful news analysis from the game’s best writers, game-improvement advice from GOLF’s network of experts and more. The inaugural episode features an exclusive sit-down interview with five-time major champ Phil Mickelson and includes special guest Kelly Rohrbach, a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model, actress and former collegiate golfer. The 30-minute program hosted by award-winning sportscaster Ryan Asselta will air live every Tuesday at noon ET on GOLF.com, and episodes will subsequently be available to watch on demand at GOLF.com/live. Content from the show will also be used in shorter clips to be shared across GOLF’s digital network. GOLF LIVE is driven by Callaway.
In the debut show, Phil Mickelson goes deep on a variety of topics, from the Big Four (Rickie Fowler, Rory McIlroy, Jason Day and Jordan Spieth) and the art of smack-talking to why he’s feeling more bullish about his game than he has in years. On the current state of professional golf and how today’s young players stack up to Tiger Woods, Mickelson tells GOLF LIVE: “There is nobody in the game of golf that I have seen that is remotely close to the level of performance Tiger was in his prime … As great as the young players are, the level that I’ve seen out of him, especially when you go back to 2000 at the U.S. Open and his performance when he held all four major championships at once, I think we’re decades away from anybody getting back to that level.”
Upcoming shows will feature the likes of Michelle Wie, Greg Norman and other big names from the world of golf.
“We’re excited to launch this new live weekly video format for GOLF, which will bring our expert voices, access to the sport’s most interesting names and unique storytelling to our dedicated audience in a whole new way,” said Ian Orefice, Time Inc. Senior Executive Producer of original and current video programming. “The wide range of content we’ll produce from the new show will be leveraged across the GOLF digital network in various formats, and it’s just one phase of our plans to aggressively grow video at GOLF; with new short- and long-form video franchises set to roll out in the coming months.”
GOLF LIVE is the latest addition to GOLF.com’s ever-expanding portfolio of video offerings. Existing video mainstays include Tour Confidential, the long-running weekly show featuring GOLF and SI writers and editors debating the game’s hot-button topics; GOLF coverage from the majors, including live shows from the Masters and U.S. Open; equipment and instructional focused deep-dives and a range of daily news videos and lighter takes on the game as seen in the series of “Extra Spin” videos. Moving forward, the brand is not only adding the weekly live programming of GOLF LIVE but will introduce a series of new video features in the coming months, from short instructional videos designed for mobile viewing to in-depth documentary style reports on the game and its culture.
“We’re constantly looking for fun new ways to bring the game to our readers and viewers, and GOLF LIVE is one of our most exciting platforms yet,” said GOLF Managing Editor David Clarke. “I think golf fans will be surprised by how much we can deliver them in 30 minutes, from analysis to color pieces to slice-busting swing tips.”
The new show will be broadcast from Time Inc.’s state-of-the-art studios in downtown Manhattan and will feature a specialized set replete with a Full Swing golf simulator and putting green from Home Green Advantage. Callaway Golf is the official sponsor of GOLF LIVE. This relationship will see Callaway’s media productions team collaborate with Time Inc. on a series of custom segments, content integrations and cross-promotional activity.
