Last November, Tiger Woods and Discovery’s GolfTV announced an exclusive content partnership. While much of the focus on Woods’ work with GolfTV has been on the series of exclusive matches he’s agreed to play on the service (that was announced in April, and details on the first one, October’s “The Challenge: Japan Skins,” were unveiled this week), the non-match content side of this is also interesting. Last month, Discovery announced a 12-part “My Game: Tiger Woods” series, with Woods talking about “the secrets and personal insights behind his game” (so a combination of instruction and personal stories); the series is available on GolfTV internationally and through Golf Digest Schools in the U.S. (Discovery bought Golf Digest in May).
Here’s a short clip of it, and the link to the first (free) episode:
Episode 1 of My Game: Tiger Woods is here.💯
Watch it for free and subscribe for the full series: https://t.co/tWo8lG0yYX pic.twitter.com/CoK143CtO8
— Golf Digest (@GolfDigest) August 20, 2019
Discovery Golf president and general manager Alex Kaplan recently took the time to speak with AA by e-mail about the series, working with Woods, their plans for Golf Digest and more; here’s that Q+A.
Awful Announcing: What’s the thinking behind this particular series format (12 10-minute episodes)? What’s appealing about it?
Alex Kaplan: Golf Digest and GOLFTV powered by the PGA TOUR devised the My Game: Tiger Woods series because it allows Tiger to speak directly to golf fans and players, offering a never before seen look into every aspect of his game. Tiger goes in-depth on a wide array of topics across the 12 episodes, and in an easily digestible way. Whether you’re playing, practicing or watching, you always want to learn more. By giving Tiger this platform to break down the game in his own words, we were able to produce something completely different and something golf fans have never seen before.
AA: The release talks about Tiger sharing “secrets and personal insights”; why is it important to have this include thoughts on his career rather than just a more standard instructional format?
AK: Discovery had a unique opportunity to work with Tiger and give him an open canvas to share how he’s been successful throughout his career, as well as divulge the key stories and learnings from his earliest year’s first playing the game with his father, to his most recent Masters victory.
The goal with My Game was to showcase Tiger and bring the viewer into the mind of golf’s greatest champion. Tiger’s deep understanding and knowledge of the game is a part of his greatness, but so is his unique mental approach he takes in practice and onto the course. We knew we had to bring both facets to life in this series, and there’s no better way than hearing from Tiger directly.
AA: How does this fit in with Discovery/GOLFTV’s overall content deal with Tiger? How big of a part of that deal is this series?
AK: Discovery has enjoyed seamless collaboration with Tiger and his team, and My Game marks the culmination of our global partnership. This series offers insight and access to Tiger that the world has never seen before and aligns directly with Discovery’s focus of empowering people and their passions. Our strategy through the Golf Digest and GOLFTV brands is to deliver the very best golf content across all platforms to the millions of fans and players around the world. Tiger and My Game are at the forefront of this strategy.
The latest
AK: Discovery has very clear consumer propositions for our growing portfolio of golf products and services. At its heart, GOLFTV offers a premium live and on-demand services for international fans, featuring the PGA TOUR and some of the very best professional golf around the world. Golf Digest is the world’s number one golf media brand and the authority on what to play, where to play, and how to play.
The recent acquisition of Golf Digest extended Discovery’s global golf media business to the U.S. market through Golf Digest’s multiplatform distribution and reach. Alongside our deepening strategic partnership with the PGA TOUR, we were able to create the largest digital golf media business in the U.S.
We are utilizing the strengths of both Golf Digest and our international GOLFTV offering to establish an editorial powerhouse that caters to passionate golf fans and players across the world. Presenting My Game: Tiger Woods to U.S. audiences on Golf Digest Schools is a great example of how we’re already putting this into practice.
Golf Digest is the premier brand for teaching and learning how to play the game of golf from the best instructors in the world. Through Golf Digest Schools, subscribers have access to top-ranked golf instructors, sessions on each and every part of the game, plus exclusive lessons with the best players on Tour. With more than 350 uniquely produced video lessons, weekly live shows, and interactive content, this is the best golf teaching tool out there. We’re excited to continue to expand this platform through integrated content across all of our platforms.
AA: Overall, what does the partnership with Tiger mean for Discovery/GOLFTV?
AK: Tiger transcends the sport and is hugely popular both in the U.S. and across the globe. His standing lifts the conversation on golf to new heights and has a draw among golf fans unlike any other athlete. Given Discovery Golf’s position in the U.S. – with the world’s number one golf media brand, Golf Digest – and internationally with GOLFTV, this has been a major boost for our offering to our customers so far.
Reflecting on My Game: Tiger Woods as GOLFTV’s first original series, Tiger has delivered and shared everything we expected and much more. His partnership with Discovery, alongside our Golf Digest and GOLFTV powered by PGA TOUR brands, has exceeded our expectations and we look forward to our continued collaboration over the coming years.
The My Game: Tiger Woods series is available through Golf Digest Schools in the U.S. for $12.99 on its own or as part of a $9.99/month Golf Digest Schools subscription. It’s available through GolfTV internationally.
