The Golf Channel "Playing Through"

[Yuck]

I usually do not rant about golf telecasts but I am finding the new "Playing Through" Commercials intolerable. In concept it might of sounded like a win win, but the golf is unwatchable during the "Playing Through" segments. The commercial is loud and larger than the golf window. I also seems like ever more ads are crammed in each hour. You miss key shots that I would actually prefer to see tape delayed after the commercial. I will express my displeasure to the golf channel and the sponsors who participate in this. Am I the only one who finds this bothersome?

 

 

 

 

Note: I normally watch golf on a DVR and bypass commercials.

[PGArox]

[quote name='Yuck' timestamp='1384720549' post='8162882']
Am I the only one who finds this bothersome?
[/quote]

No, I agree 100%. It's lame and offensive. It's clearly a way to introduce even more commercials while pissing you off to the least extent possible. Pay-per-view is coming.

[swizbeatz]

Thought the same thing during the tournament a week or so ago, tiger made a big putt and I could kind of tell by the reaction it went in but that's all. First shot back full screen is a replay of the putt, would have rather just seen it 30 seconds delayed. At least they don't show key shots in the last few holes this way, at least I'm assuming that's the case.

[rafal]

Fastest growing network on television!(tm)

[knowgolf]

I like it if they do it during lulls in the action (while players are walking, while players who aren't anywhere near the lead are hitting shots, etc). It's nice to keep watching some sort of golf instead of just the commercials.

But if they're going to do it during key shots, or if it enables them to cram in even more commercials, it's a bad idea. So far I haven't noticed an increase in commercial breaks (there were always too many) but maybe others have?

[gtsc03]

[quote name='Yuck' timestamp='1384720549' post='8162882']

Note: I normally watch golf on a DVR and bypass commercials.
[/quote]

This is exactly why they have started doing this. More and more people are DVRing live sports, starting to watch about half way through, zipping through commercials when they happen and ending the event at the same time as they normally would have. The current TV model is based largely on advertising dollars. If advertisers start dropping off because they know people aren't watching the ads then all of our rates start going up. By showing both simultaneously the stations can say that then know their ads are getting seen as people are watching the ad and live action together.

Also, showing both keeps those watching live from changing to something else during the commercials. Stations know that when someone changes the channel they are likely not going to come immediately back, but rather when the station they turned to goes to it's next commercial break.

I agree with you that it is annoying and I don't like it. I think the only real fix is PPV, but I'm not a fan of that either as I imagine they will still have commercials. It's the price we pay for capitalism.

[Holy Moses]

They are doing this for US PGA telecasts? I've only seen it when the GC broadcasts Euro events.

[nichho]

[quote name='gtsc03' timestamp='1384739989' post='8164500']
[quote name='Yuck' timestamp='1384720549' post='8162882']
Note: I normally watch golf on a DVR and bypass commercials.
[/quote]

This is exactly why they have started doing this. More and more people are DVRing live sports, starting to watch about half way through, zipping through commercials when they happen and ending the event at the same time as they normally would have. The current TV model is based largely on advertising dollars. If advertisers start dropping off because they know people aren't watching the ads then all of our rates start going up. By showing both simultaneously the stations can say that then know their ads are getting seen as people are watching the ad and live action together.

Also, showing both keeps those watching live from changing to something else during the commercials. Stations know that when someone changes the channel they are likely not going to come immediately back, but rather when the station they turned to goes to it's next commercial break.

I agree with you that it is annoying and I don't like it. I think the only real fix is PPV, but I'm not a fan of that either as I imagine they will still have commercials. It's the price we pay for capitalism.
[/quote]

This is amazing, you have just described me to a tee. We don't get the playing through stuff here yet and maybe we won't for a while as the difference in watching the European Tour as provided by Sky and the PGA Tour provided by any American broadcaster is light years.
I love watching the PGA as it takes place on an evening after I've finished being busy, but boy do they make it hard to watch and do you know what? More and more often I find myself flicking away and failing to return.
Sky make it easier for us by not going to commercials every time you do, instead they go to shot centre, a discussion group in the studio analysing swings and topics of the day; it's not live action but at least it's golf.
Got to feel sorry for you guys.

[golfortennis]

I wish they would just put a logo in the corner of a screen and not go to commercials. It works quite well with soccer broadcasts.

The worst part is, they try to use the "how else are the broadcasters going to recoup their costs" argument. Well, in the days of the OTA networks, I would agree. But now I have this not-so-little thing called a cable bill, which has the cable company sending that channel money on my behalf each month. I'm already paying you....

[sunbeltgolfer]

[quote name='Yuck' timestamp='1384720549' post='8162882']
I usually do not rant about golf telecasts but I am finding the new "Playing Through" Commercials intolerable. In concept it might of sounded like a win win, but the golf is unwatchable during the "Playing Through" segments. The commercial is loud and larger than the golf window. I also seems like ever more ads are crammed in each hour. You miss key shots that I would actually prefer to see tape delayed after the commercial. I will express my displeasure to the golf channel and the sponsors who participate in this. Am I the only one who finds this bothersome?




Note: I normally watch golf on a DVR and bypass commercials.
[/quote]

Totally agree. I thought it was just me. It is very clear that I am no longer the demographic anyone is trying to reach, and, find that I watch less and less of The Golf Channel for one annoying reason or another.

[south_side_lefty]

I find 'Playing through' to be tremendously annoying.

[cxx]

Pretty soon they'll go to the cliffhanger move. They'll show the big putt, you'll hear the crowd and cut away before the end, only to show the result when they come back from the commercial break. It's everywhere else. The GC will copy it as well.

[Volgolfer]

Agree - annoying. Also agree with Bluefan 75 - I'm already paying you with my cable bill, so this should be commercial free.

I think I speak for a small but growing group that is fed-up with TV from the standpoint of bad content, forced channels, and double-dipping with cable fees and commercials. I'm slowly moving towards ditching the cable for internet PPV and digital aerial. If they don't have golf, so be it. Back off the commercials, lower the prize money (and tour subsidies) and I might consider coming back.....

[502 to Right]

I have no problems with it.

[golfortennis]

Strange this topic was moved....or is "Tour Talk" really the "PGA Tour Talk" forum?

[Jag80]

I don't have a problem with it. Is this inserting another commercial break or the normal break and continuing to show golf? I take it as the later.

[richard t]

I agree with the OP who said, " I pay the cable company extra for this channel. Charge me more and leave off the commercials. Went to watch some TV shows that I had not Tvoed. Guess what? On Comcast you can not longer zip through the commercials. I see the day coming ( like I'm real smart) when all sports and more will be pay-for-view AND there will still be commercials!

[jewofgolf]

Personally I don't have cable, but if I could just pay golf channel a $5 monthly subscription to get live/taped content through their website with no ads, I would do it. I might even pay $10 or $15 monthly if it was really well run.

[Urbanbuffalo]

Infuriating, miserable, greed driven, useless piece of crap!! Even if you turn the sound off like I do, you can’t see the ball and it’s near impossible to know what’s going on anyway. It is humanly impossible to watch two things at the same time so I am for getting rid of it completely. Show me the tape delayed shots and stop these greedy idiots from trying to force feed me their products. It doesn’t work!!!! 

[Primo1868]

Hate them too