Bay Area golfers are in for a treat. There’s a new golf entertainment channel coming to town, and it sneak peeked in early December.
Golf Nation is the first and only producer of original golf-lifestyle shows with the ability for viewers to instantly purchase items while never leaving the screen. Each commercial-free episode is five to 30 minutes and specials may be longer.
C’mon, watch series episodes for free on www.golfnation.com.
They include “Ambush with David Feherty” and his hidden-camera hijinks; “Golf Unseen” that takes viewers to exotic courses with cultural experiences; “Tee Shots” where golfers drink, chat and swing with famous mixologist Bill Binder; “Watch. Buy. Play.” highlighting the planet’s hottest golf products; and “Don’t I Know You?” based on the 1980s-1990s TV hit “The Newlywed Game” with the first episode featuring Zach and Kim Johnson.
Referred to as “Netflix Meets Home Shopping Network,” Golf Nation will be available via mobile app, connected-smart TVs, Apple TV, Android, Fire TV and Roku in early 2023.
Golf Nation is a product of NBTV Studios and is sister to NBTV Channels Spirits Network that sells countless products inside “Cocktail History,” “Tales from the Cask,” “Sipping Point” and “Science of Spirits” and other series of shows.
Surveys show more than 60% of Spirits Network viewers count golf as a passion.
“The psychographic and demographic crossover of spirits and golf audiences is significant,” says Nick Buzzell, Chairman and CEO of NBTV. “We are hardly starting from scratch.”
Golf equipment, travel, fashion, technology, instruction, club lifestyle and fitness brands are already partnering with Golf Nation. Buzzell expects more than 10 non-endemic brands to also be fully immersed selling their products via on-screen ‘buy bars’ inside Golf Nation shows in Q1.
The channel’s watch-buy-play, content-to-commerce approach benefits brands looking for instant, commercial-free, direct-to-consumer shoppable marketing opportunities with more precise metrics than static and other video platforms.
To add golf authority to Golf Nation, Suzy Whaley was named President. The first female President of the PGA of America, she is also a Master PGA Professional, one of only a handful of women to play in a PGA TOUR event and commentator on ESPN and Sirius XM coverage of Tour events. Whaley oversees Golf Nation’s industry relations, brand involvement and show ideation.
Sports media veteran Noah Coslov assumes the GM position. A robust and diverse team of advisory board members include Mindy Grossman of Home Shopping Network and Weight Watchers CEO fame, golf marketing PR and visionary Rich Katz, PGA Reach Trustee Dee Robinson and longtime business development executive Pete Arrichiello.
Investors include Mark Bezos (High Post), David Nichols (former President of K-Swiss), John Esposito (Chairman of Whistle Pig and former CEO of Bacardi North America), and other family offices and venture funds.
“Anchored by NBTV Channels’ technology, the future is here and now,” says Buzzell. “That’s why we project a monthly active viewer base of at least 50M by early 2024.”
Welcome, Golf Nation, and thanks for bringing direct-to-consumer shoppable video commerce to the Bay Area.
By Rich Katz