FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, August 31st, 2016

NBC SPORTS GROUP ANNOUNCES COMPREHENSIVE PLANS SURROUNDING RYDER CUP, SEPT. 26-OCT. 2; MORE THAN 170 HOURS OF RYDER CUP THEMED PROGRAMMING

Ryder Cup Programming Led by More Than 25 Live Hours of Competition on Golf Channel and NBC

Mike Tirico to Host NBC Sports’ Ryder Cup Coverage; David Feherty to Make Ryder Cup Broadcast Debut after Competing in 1991 for European Team

Three-Part Road to the Ryder Cup Series to Provide Overview on Players, Captains and Top Storylines, Airing on NBC: Sept. 4, 11, and 25

NBC Sports’ Promotional Campaign Utilizes Opera Music to Capture Most Dramatic Event in Golf: “It’s Not Golf, It’s the Ryder Cup”

Trip to 2018 Ryder Cup in Paris & Ryder Cup Trophy Tour Kick-Off Across NBCUniversal On-Air Platforms Highlight Ryder Cup Fan Engagement

ORLANDO, Fla. (August 31, 2016) – NBC Sports Group has announced its plans for the 2016 Ryder Cup – the most electrifying three days in golf – featuring the United States against Europe in the historic biennial international match-play competition, Sept. 30-Oct. 2 at Hazeltine National Golf Club, outside of Minneapolis. Led by more than 25 hours of all-encompassing live action from the 1st tee through the final putt of each scheduled match on Golf Channel (Friday) and NBC (Saturday-Sunday), coverage will be complemented by Golf Central Live From the Ryder Cup programming, making up nearly 90 live hours, and more than 170 total hours of Ryder Cup-themed programming Sept. 26-Oct. 2 on Golf Channel and NBC.

NBC Sports Group All-Encompassing Live Coverage of Every Match, Sept. 30-Oct. 2
NBC Sports Group will dedicate more than 25 hours to showcasing live action of the Ryder Cup, featuring all-encompassing coverage from the first tee shot of Friday’s opening match through the conclusion of Sunday’s singles matches. Golf Channel will televise Day 1 matches on Friday, Sept. 30, while NBC will carry the final two days of the competition, Saturday-Sunday Oct. 1-2:

Friday, Sept. 30          8:30 a.m.-7 p.m. ET                2016 Ryder Cup – Day 1        Golf Channel
Saturday, Oct. 1          9 a.m.-7 p.m. ET                     2016 Ryder Cup – Day 2        NBC
Sunday, Oct. 2            Noon-6 p.m. ET                      2016 Ryder Cup – Final Day  NBC 

Ryder Cup Broadcast Team
NBC Sports’ Mike Tirico will host all three days of coverage, as well as the trophy presentation on Sunday. Dan Hicks and Terry Gannon will handle play-by-play duties, while Johnny Miller, Nick Faldo (Friday morning) and David Feherty (Saturday morning) will rotate as lead analyst in the 18th tower. Peter Jacobsen, Gary Koch, Curt Byrum and Tom Abbott will serve as tower analysts, while Feherty – making his Ryder Cup broadcast debut after competing in the event as a member of the European team in 1991 – Roger Maltbie, Mark Rolfing, Notah Begay and Jerry Foltz will walk inside the ropes as on-course reporters. Steve Sands will conduct player interviews, and Jimmy Roberts will provide essays. 

Golf Central Live From the Ryder Cup
Originating from a dedicated set positioned between the 1st tee and 18th green, Golf Central Live From the Ryder Cup will kick off Monday, Sept. 26, and continue through Sunday, Oct. 2. A second ancillary set on-site will be utilized for interviews throughout the week. Rich Lerner (primetime), Ryan Burr and Kelly Tilghman will anchor the network’s coverage, while Brandel Chamblee, Frank Nobilo, David Duval, Mark Rolfing, Notah Begay, Jim Gallagher Jr., Paul McGinley and Colin Montgomerie will serve as analysts. Todd Lewis and Steve Burkowski will provide reports and conduct player interviews, while Tim Rosaforte and Rex Hoggard will offer insider perspective throughout the week.

‘Road to the Ryder Cup’ Airing on NBC
Hosted by NBC Sports’ Feherty and Rolfing, the three-part Road to the Ryder Cup series will offer exclusive insight from those whom will play the most prominent roles at Hazeltine, including U.S. captain Davis Love III, European captain Darren Clarke, Rory McIlroy, Justin Rose, and Ryder Cup hopeful, Bubba Watson. The series also will highlight what ultimately led to the creation of the U.S. Ryder Cup task force, the history of the event, and a detailed overview on Hazeltine National Golf Club. Parts I, II and II of Road to the Ryder Cup will air on NBC, leading into live coverage of the FedExCup Playoffs, ahead of the 3rd Round of the Deutsche Bank Championship (Sunday, Sept. 4, 2:30-3 p.m. ET); the Final Round of the BMW Championship (Sunday, Sept. 11, 1:30-2 p.m. ET); and the Final Round of the TOUR Championship (Sunday, Sept. 25, 1-1:30 p.m. ET). An exclusive preview to Part I of Road to the Ryder Cup can be viewed here.

Promotional Campaign: It’s Not Golf, It’s The Ryder Cup
Building upon the extraordinary moments in golf this summer playing out on Golf Channel and NBC, including The Open in July, golf’s return to the Olympics in August and the FedExCup Playoffs in September, Golf Channel has introduced a promotional campaign featuring opera music, set against the backdrop of dramatic moments unique to the Ryder Cup. The first two spots, ‘Ecstasy’ (Libiamo ne’ lieti calici – Guisippi Verdi’s La Traviata) and ‘Fanatics’ (Dalibor) premiered during the network’s coverage of The Open and Olympics, and the third spot, ‘Epic’ (Aida) will debut during this weekend’s NBC Sports’ NASCAR coverage, including both NASCAR Xfinity Series and Sprint Cup races. Golf Channel’s “It’s Not Golf, It’s The Ryder Cup” campaign is targeting sports fans across a wide-spectrum of media platforms, including ESPN, Fox Sports, NFL Network, AMC, Discovery, History, A&E, Food, FX, and TNT, as well as prominent NBC Sports assets including Sunday Night Football, Notre Dame Football, NASCAR, Premier League, NBCSN and a variety of NBCUniversal platforms, including CNBC, MSNBC, Esquire, Weather, and SB Nation.

“Ultimate Ryder Cup Fanatic” Campaign to Offer Trip to 2018 Ryder Cup in Paris
Beginning this week, Golf Channel will be searching for the Ultimate Ryder Cup Fanatic, asking fans to submit their best video (up to 60 seconds), for a chance to win a trip for two to Paris for the 2018 Ryder Cup. Between now and Sunday, Sept. 18, fans can visit http://www.golfchannel.com/ryder-cup-fanatic/ to submit their video. To help drive awareness to the NBCSports’ Ryder Cup coverage, the three finalists will be posted on Golf Channel Digital on Friday, Sept. 23, where fans can vote on their favorite and have a chance to win prizes. The ultimate winner will be chosen by a combination of fan votes and a panel of Golf Channel commentators, and is scheduled to be announced on Morning Drive on Thursday, Sept. 29.

Ryder Cup Trophy Tour Kicks Off with NBCU On-Air Platform Integrations
On Monday, the PGA of America kicked off its Ryder Cup Trophy Tour, offering sports fans around the United States a chance to engage with the Cup in the weeks leading up to the biennial competition. The tour officially got underway across the networks of NBCUniversal, with the trophy making an appearance on CNBC’s Squawk Box, followed by a visit on TODAY on NBC, and an appearance on NBCSN’s Dan Patrick Show. In all, the Ryder Cup tour will include 13 cities leading up to the competition at the end of September, and will be profiled across NBCUniversal’s portfolio, including Golf Channel, NBC Sports Network, NBC Sports Regional Networks, NBC Sports Radio and local NBC affiliates.

ADDITIONAL RYDER CUP-THEMED PROGRAMMING:

Morning Drive
Morning Drive will kick off each day of Ryder Cup week with the latest news and storylines surrounding the competition. The show will feature a dedicated set on-site at Hazeltine, which will provide a backdrop for live reports from Gary Williams, Cara Robinson, John Cook and Matt Ginella, who will be joined by special guests throughout the week.

Golf’s Greatest Rounds – 1999, 2012, 2014 Ryder Cups
In the month leading up to the 2016 Ryder Cup, viewers will have an opportunity to relive the final day of three of the most recent Ryder Cups contested as part of three special episodes of Golf’s Greatest Rounds. The 2014 Ryder Cup final day will air on Tuesday, Sept. 6 (8-10 p.m. ET), while the unforgettable 1999 and 2012 Ryder Cups will air on Tuesday, Sept. 13 (8-10 p.m. ET) and Wednesday, Sept. 21 (8-11 p.m. ET) respectively.

Feherty: Tuesday, Sept. 20 (10 p.m. ET) – ’14 European Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley
Premiering on Tuesday, Sept. 20, David Feherty will be joined by 2014 European Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley on a new episode of Feherty. McGinley reflects on his two-year journey as the 2014 European Ryder Cup captain, and looks back on the strange circumstance that led to him conceding an 18th hole putt to J.J. Henry while competing as a player at the 2006 Ryder Cup.

The Golf Fix
Hosted by 2012 PGA Professional Teacher of the Year Michael Breed, The Golf Fix will air live on Monday, Sept. 26 at 6 p.m. ET from the driving range at Hazeltine National Golf Club. The episode will feature special guests, and Breed’s instruction will center around keys to tailoring your game for match play, and how to succeed under pressure.

PGA TOUR Champions Learning Center
On Tuesday, Sept. 27 at Midnight ET, PGA TOUR Champions Learning Center will premiere a new episode dedicated to the Ryder Cup. Special guests will include past Ryder Cup participants Lee Trevino, Bill Rogers and Jerry Pate. Tom Lehman, vice captain for the 2016 United States Ryder Cup team, also is expected to take part in the episode.

International Ryder Cup Programming
Golf Channel will produce live international Ryder Cup news programming in both Japanese and Mandarin. These productions will complement the international distribution of Golf Central’s Live From the Ryder Cup, which is distributed to markets within Golf Channel’s worldwide footprint in more than 80 countries, 200 million households and 11 languages.

2016 Ryder Cup Programming Air Times (all times ET):

Sunday, September 4
2:30-3 p.m.                  Road to the Ryder Cup – Part I                                             NBC

Tuesday, September 6
8-10 p.m.                     Golf’s Greatest Rounds – 2014 Ryder Cup                           Golf Channel

Sunday, September 11
1:30-2 p.m.                  Road to the Ryder Cup – Part II                                            NBC

Tuesday, September 13
8-10 p.m.                     Golf’s Greatest Rounds – 1999 Ryder Cup                           Golf Channel

Tuesday, September 20
10-11 p.m.                   Feherty – 2014 Ryder Cup Captain Paul McGinley               Golf Channel

Wednesday, September 21
8-11 p.m.                     Golf’s Greatest Rounds – 2012 Ryder Cup                           Golf Channel

Sunday, September 25
1-1:30 p.m.                  Road to the Ryder Cup – Part III                                          NBC

Monday, September 26
7-9 a.m.                       Morning Drive                                                                        Golf Channel
6-7 p.m.                       The Golf Fix                                                                           Golf Channel
7-8:30 p.m.                  Golf Central Live From the Ryder Cup                                 Golf Channel

Tuesday, September 27
Midnight-12:30 a.m.   PGA TOUR Champions Learning Center                              Golf Channel
7-9 a.m.                       Morning Drive                                                                        Golf Channel
9 a.m.-6 p.m.               Golf Central Live From the Ryder Cup                                 Golf Channel
7-9 p.m.                       Golf Central Live From the Ryder Cup                                 Golf Channel

Wednesday, September 28
7-9 a.m.                       Morning Drive                                                                        Golf Channel
9 a.m.-6 p.m.               Golf Central Live From the Ryder Cup                                 Golf Channel
7-9 p.m.                       Golf Central Live From the Ryder Cup                                 Golf Channel

Thursday, September 29
7-9 a.m.                       Morning Drive                                                                        Golf Channel
9 a.m.-5 p.m.               Golf Central Live From the Ryder Cup                                 Golf Channel
5-8 p.m.                       Golf Central Live From the Ryder Cup, Opening Ceremony Golf Channel

Friday, September 30
6-8:30 a.m.                  Golf Central Live From the Ryder Cup                                 Golf Channel
8:30 a.m.-7 p.m.          2016 Ryder Cup – Day 1                                                        Golf Channel
7-9 p.m.                       Golf Central Live From the Ryder Cup                                 Golf Channel

Saturday, October 1
6-9 a.m.                       Golf Central Live From the Ryder Cup                                 Golf Channel
9 a.m.-7 p.m.               2016 Ryder Cup – Day 2                                                        NBC
7-9 p.m.                       Golf Central Live From the Ryder Cup                                 Golf Channel

Sunday, October 2
7-9 a.m.                       Morning Drive                                                                        Golf Channel
9 a.m.-Noon                Golf Central Live From the Ryder Cup                                 Golf Channel
Noon-6 p.m.                2016 Ryder Cup – Final Day                                                  NBC
6-9 p.m.                       Golf Central Live From the Ryder Cup                                 Golf Channel

-NBC Sports Group-