Sports
Ryder Cup Coverage Marks Many Firsts for NBC Sports Group
Sep 22, 2014
Earlier this year, Golf Channel acquired the exclusive Ryder Cup telecast North American rights for Friday’s matches, which will be the first time the network has provided live coverage of this event. Both networks combined will air the most live coverage ever for a European-hosted event – from the opening tee shot on Friday through the final putt on Sunday. Coverage will also be streamed via Golf Live Extra and NBC Sports Live Extra.
Play-by-play and lead analyst roles for Friday and Saturday will include Terry Gannon and either Nick Faldo (Friday) or Frank Nobilo (Saturday) for morning matches, and Dan Hicks and Johnny Miller for afternoon matches. Outer towers will be manned in the morning by Tom Abbott and Curt Byrum, and in the afternoon by Gary Koch and Peter Jacobsen. Reporting from the course for both sessions on both days will be a combination of Roger Maltbie, Mark Rolfing, Notah Begay and Jerry Foltz. Singles matches on Sunday will feature Hicks and Miller in the booth, Koch and Jacobsen in outer towers; and a combination of Maltbie, Rolfing, Begay, Foltz and Byrum on the course. Steve Sands and Jimmy Roberts will handle interviews all days. Several guest analysts, including Montgomerie, are expected to contribute to the coverage throughout the matches.
In addition, A first-time, exclusive collaboration between NBC and Golf Channel will present 85.5 hours of unprecedented coverage designed to bring fans closer to the action of one of the world’s most exciting sporting events. Debuting this year will be Golf Channel’s Ryder Cup Alternate Shot coverage, which will feature a different view of the action that complements NBC’s live weekend coverage.
"As NBC Sports Group unparalleled coverage of the 2014 Ryder Cup, one of the most unique events in sports, this coordinated effort between Golf Channel and NBC will super-serve fans’ appetite for the passion and patriotism that surrounds this event," said Golf Channel Executive Producer Molly Solomon. "The Ryder Cup Alternate Shot coverage will be perfect complement to NBC’s coverage, and will showcase the unconventional Feherty and legends from past Ryder Cups discussing the action like only they can, because they have stood on Ryder Cup first tees with the hopes of their nation on their shoulders."
"Tom’s team is the hungry, young underdog in this contest," said Feherty. "We’ll talk about that during Alternate Shot coverage and will show viewers a different spin on analysis, as well as give them a fun and informative way to enjoy the Ryder Cup. It’ll also be fun for me because I’ll get to argue with Wadkins all day."
