PGA Tour to launch an online golf network aimed at millenials

12.02.2015
Golf's elitist vibe and ponderous pace isn't for everyone, but the game is not without its share of young, ardent followers. Fully 25 percent of all active golfers in the United States fall in the 18-to-34 age bracket, according to the National Golf Foundation.

In order to better connect with these 6.2 million golf enthusiasts, the PGA Tour is launching Skratch TV, an all-new digital video platform, in partnership with Bedrocket. Bedrocket already operates two sports-focused video properties: the multi-sport Network A and the soccer-focused KickTV.

Powered by the Bedrocket's proprietary Boxspring CMS (content management system), Skratch TV will supply Generation Y golfers with their daily dose of golfing action in the form of bite-sized videos. Besides original programming, the video platform will also host PGA Tour highlights and other curated content.

"As younger fans find new ways to follow their favorite sports, it's important to deliver great golf content to platforms that they use and in a voice that resonates with them," said Tim Finchem, PGA Tour commissioner in a press release. "We believe Skratch TV will provide a tremendous new platform to effectively speak to this audience."

Although the actual site doesn't launch until spring 2015, Skratch has already started posting videos to a bevy of third-party sites--Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Vine, and YouTube--as part of a "social-platform beta."

Why this matters: This appears to be part of an attempt to arrest the steep decline in the number of active golfers, which has fallen by more than 24 percent since 2002. For this, the tour is trying to engage with young golf fans in ways not possible with traditional television. The press release says it best: "It will package the sport for the mobile-savvy, always-on, rapid-fire content consumer."

(www.techhive.com)

Pulkit Chandna

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