New NFL television deal will have impact on PGA

By Bill Kwon

Nothing is forever.

Just ask ABC, which will be without "Monday Night Football," a national sports institution for 36 years, after this season as a result of the National Football League's new television contract.

Two-time Sony Open in Hawai'i winner Ernie Els, left, and the PGA Tour, probably will face changes in television coverage on Sunday with the new NFL TV deal. The NFL's Sunday prime-time game will move from ESPN to NBC in 2006. At right is New England's Tom Brady. Graphic by Jon Orque • The Honolulu Advertiser

The NFL is everybody's Big Daddy when it comes to dictating television rights and marketing.

"The NFL's the big kid on the block. The NFL deal had to be done first. Nobody can make a move until they make a move," said Mark Rolfing, who's probably more attuned to the impact of television sports than anyone locally. And the NFL deal will have a huge impact on golf's next TV contract covering 2007 to 2010, with negotiations slated to begin later this summer.

Rolfing, a golf analyst for NBC Sports since 1988 and Golf Channel contributor, was in on the initial talks when the PGA Tour involved Hawai'i in landing its biggest TV rights package eight years ago.

Hawai'i was assured of locking in the Mercedes Championships and the Sony Open in Hawai'i on consecutive weeks to start the PGA season, with the final rounds shown during TV prime time on the Mainland.

The PGA Tour also got $850 million in broadcast rights.

Golf's second four-year TV package for nearly the same money ends in 2006, but the PGA Tour will be fortunate to get that kind of money again.

"I think any increase will be difficult. I know the players aren't expecting any," Rolfing said.

"Right now it would be to the benefit of the PGA Tour to delay (TV contract negotiations). The PGA needs a good run of winners. Tiger's winning the Masters helped. Now if Tiger can win the U.S. Open and get everybody's interest in a grand slam ... "

The tour got its first hefty TV deal back when Woods dominated the golf scene.

Of greater importance locally, however, will be to see how much more of an impact the new NFL package will have on Hawai'i's two premier golf tournaments, which already go head-to-head with the league's postseason games.

During the first year of the Mercedes and Sony events in 1999, the NFL wasn't on prime time. But soon ESPN began airing Sunday night games, which will move from cable to network television (NBC) in 2006. The NFL also is considering late-season Thursday night games.

"I'm concerned. The reality is that there are going to be some big changes," said Rolfing, who said he believes that even the PGA schedule will need to alter dramatically.

"Golf is the only sport that goes by the calendar year — January to December. The NFL is September to February; major league baseball, April to October; NBA, October to June."

Rolfing can see the PGA Tour in the coming years having an international event or two — possibly in Japan, since Tiger likes going there to play in the Dunlop Phoenix Open anyway, and Australia — and start its season then, perhaps in November. The Mercedes Championships and Sony Open would remain in the January slot as the first two events on the West Coast swing.

Since many of the bigger name players are lobbying for a shorter season, the tour could consider a break by eliminating a couple of events in the early fall when the football season starts.

Besides the NFL, golf also faces a challenge for viewers from NASCAR, "the fastest-growing TV sport," according to Rolfing.

If anything, the PGA Tour should use NASCAR's television contract as its model, Rolfing says. "All the best racers race every week. There are big rivalries (among the drivers). Golf should do the same with Tiger and Phil (Mickelson), Vijay (Singh) and Ernie (Els)."

All is not dim on the TV screen for golf, however. There is reason for some optimism as far as Hawai'i's premier golf events are concerned.

After all, Hawai'i still is a pretty face on television and the weather early in the year can't be beat. Those are reasons for Hawai'i to be a viable partner with the PGA Tour in future TV deals, even if the Mercedes and Sony events might not be on during prime time.

Rolfing said he feels the possibility is good that the two events might be back on network television for early morning viewing before the NFL games. An ideal scenario for him would be NBC showing the final rounds of the Mercedes Championships and Sony Open and closing with NFL Sunday night football.

He said he wonders if ESPN, with its $1.1 billion commitment to land Monday Night Football, will be as heavily involved in golf as it is now, especially with some of the weaker fall tournaments such as the 84 Lumber Classic, Bell Canadian Open and Valero Texas Open all during football-crazy September.

Rolfing also sees the Golf Channel, with its 50 million cable subscribers, becoming more of a player with the proliferation of non-PGA, celebrity tournaments each year.

No matter what happens, the landscape in golf is definitely changing.

It's hoped that Hawai'i can keep up with the changes.

Bill Kwon can be reached at bkwon@aloha.net