FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, July 14th, 2016
VOX MEDIA’S SB NATION AND GOLF CHANNEL TEAM UP TO LAUNCH NEW DIGITAL CONTENT PARTNERSHIP KICKING OFF WITH THE 145TH OPEN
Partnership Combines SB Nation’s Digital Video Content with Golf Channel’s All-Encompassing Coverage of the Game Geared Towards Younger, Digitally Engaged Audiences, Spotlighting the Game’s Emerging Young Superstars
ORLANDO, Fla. (July 14, 2016) – As NBC Sports Group kicks off its inaugural coverage of The Open today, Golf Channel and SB Nation – the sports brand from Vox Media – announced today a strategic digital content partnership that will expand SB Nation’s golf programming and Golf Channel’s digital reach. The content partnership will maximize SB Nation’s scope as the leading digital destination among young audiences, utilizing Golf Channel’s high-quality and authentic digital golf content.
Under the new partnership, which begins this week with coverage of The Open, SB Nation will increase its golf coverage and create new original digital golf video content, covering major tournaments, key players, and important moments both inside and outside the ropes. Golf Channel Digital will supplement SB Nation’s expanded editorial coverage with video highlights, live scoring and access to Golf Live Extra. SB Nation and Golf Channel also will have a shared social distribution strategy.
“Golf Channel’s partnership with SB Nation offers the opportunity to expand golf’s reach more effectively to a younger, more digitally engaged audience, which is increasingly one of the most sought-after and highly valued demographics,” said Jon Kropp, vice president for Golf Channel Digital Media. “This partnership will shine a spotlight on golf’s current and up-and-coming superstars, delivering high-quality content that is accessible and showcases the game we all love.”
“We’ve seen a tremendous growth in the SB Nation audience’s passion for golf, particularly as many of today’s star players are young and connect with digital-savvy fans, ” said Kevin Lockland, VP of Editorial Operations, SB Nation. “Golf Channel is the preeminent place for coverage and insight into the game, and SB Nation is the fastest growing digital sports brand. Together we’re creating content that goes beyond the leaderboard to reach millions of fans in new ways.”
Golf Channel’s and SB Nation’s partnership is the latest initiative following NBCUniversal’s strategic investment in Vox Media in August 2015. Advertising partners of both brands now have the opportunity to reach SB Nation’s young, affluent audience of over 83 million people each month, around leading, and all-encompassing golf coverage.
ABOUT VOX MEDIA
Vox Media builds smart media brands around big categories people are passionate about, empowering trusted digital voices with proprietary technology to create and distribute stories to hundreds of millions of affluent and educated young adults worldwide. Vox Media is eight distinct brands: The Verge (Technology and Culture), Vox.com (General News), SB Nation (Sports), Eater (Food and Nightlife), Polygon (Gaming), Racked (Shopping, Beauty and Fashion), Curbed (Real Estate and Home), and Recode (Technology and Business). Vox Media’s investors include Accel Partners, Comcast Ventures, Khosla Ventures, General Atlantic, and NBCUniversal. www.voxmedia.com
ABOUT GOLF CHANNEL
Golf Channel is a multimedia, golf entertainment and services company based in Orlando, Fla. Serving the most-affluent audience in all of television, Golf Channel – co-founded by Arnold Palmer in 1995 and now part of NBC Sports Group – is available in more than 200 million homes in 84 countries and 11 languages around the world. Golf Channel features more live golf coverage than all other networks combined, including tournament action from the PGA TOUR, LPGA Tour, The Open, Olympics, and Ryder Cup, as well as high-quality news, instruction and original programming. Golf Channel’s digital platforms, headed by GolfChannel.com, deliver unmatched coverage of the world of golf. Fans are able to enjoy 24/7 live streaming of Golf Channel content through Golf Live Extra and NBC Sports Live Extra, both powered by Playmaker Media, and select programming is simulcast via SiriusXM’s PGA TOUR Radio. In addition, Golf Channel connects the world to golf through a wide array of digital and lifestyle services including Golf Channel Mobile, a comprehensive app covering golf’s latest headlines, scores and analysis; GolfNow, the world’s largest online tee time booking platform and golf course technology partner, which includes the GolfNow Mobile App, featuring on-course GPS tracking, in-round scoring and game tracking; GolfAdvisor.com, the world’s largest golf course ratings and review resource for golfers, by golfers; a North American network of Golf Channel Academy instructional facilities; and Golf Channel Am Tour, the world’s largest amateur golf tour.
-NBC Sports Group-
