Golf Channel Headquarters Moving to Connecticut

[sloansav62]

https://www.golf.com/news/2020/02/29/golf-channel-leaving-orlando/

Not announced where content will film for shows like Morning Drive yet. Wild to think, show I enjoy so much could go from Orlando to walking distance from my house. ?

[TimK1]

That sucks for the people living in FLA. Going from a low taxed nice whether area to a high taxed, high cost of living and much crappier whether area.

I have lived in the Northeast for 56 years. I'm headed in the other direction soon. Good luck with that is all I can say.

[Bob Cat]

I read the article and understand the move. But I can't believe the GC is celebrating 25 years of "failure to launch".

The game desperately needs to bring new blood into the fold and the GC is airing segment on "finish this sentence".

Can't believe another media company hasn't overtaken them with a fresh, forward thinking show of their own.

[BMC]

Could be the on-air production could stay in Fla. and all administrative/sales moves North. They need access to the current and ex players who appear as guests.

I have a feeling much of the talent would not want to move.

[dalehead]

Agree with the not want to move part. Weather and a big pay cut when you factor in CT taxes. Where do you play golf in Stamford in January?

[Soloman1]

I don't think we've seen any evidence that the NBC suits play golf at all . . .

[Lamosteve]

I'm ok with it as long as Lauren Thompson is still on the show.

[cougarthesecond]

Not sure about the Orlando studio... will NBC scrap it? What about “Studio AP”? Apparently the move will take place gradually over the year. Will Morning Drive even survive? Feel pretty certain some on-air staff will be jettisoned.

[MountainGoat]

I wonder if NBC Sports is simply following the ESPN model by consolidating all their production facilities and staff in one location (Stamford) with satellite studios wherever they happen to be needed. The model for this is ESPN's new South Street Seaport studio, which generates a large portion of the network's daytime programming. That studio houses the talent, sets, a few camera operators and not not much else. There aren't any traditional control rooms. Thanks to fiber links, all the production for their shows takes place in Bristol.

In the case of the Golf Channel, the studio and talent would remain in Orlando but production and production staff would be moved to Stamford. In this regard, I wonder if the production staff didn't do themselves any favors by staging a walkout at the beginning of 2018. That sort of thing could have gotten network management looking for alternatives.

 

 

[madmaclive]

Supposedly part of this is because the PGA Tour is planning to take complete control of production and there will be no need to have any other production on site. They will be producing everything, send out a “world feed” and the new rights deal will reflect those costs and be significantly more than the current rights deals.

[Pantone342]

All great points, @MountainGoat. An ESPN-style consolidation is exactly what I thought too when I saw the news.
Think you are correct RE: the 2018 walkout and the ramifications thereof. Timing would be about right, too - would take about a year for corporate to source and finalize the change.