WarnerMedia has won the worldwide media distribution rights to the $9 million golf match between Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson.
Turner Sports will produce the match, which will take place at MGM Resorts International Thanksgiving weekend.
It will be offered live via view pay-per-view by DirecTV and the Bleacher Report Live streaming service. Pricing will be disclosed at a later date.
HBO and TNT will provide shoulder programming, with HBO’s shows leading up to the match and TNT television highlights afterwards.
Turner International will facilitate distribution of live PPV access to the event outside the U.S.
Coming back from injury, Woods has proven to be a huge ratings generator with his performances in the last two major golf tournaments. With Woods challenging for the lead, the final round of the PGA Championship on Aug. 12 saw its ratings on CBS jump 69% from the previous year.
“The iconic Tiger Woods and five-time Major Champion Phil Mickelson are generational talents who have transcended the game of golf and their rivalry continues to be one of the most compelling in sports,” said David Levy, president of Turner. “This one-of-a-kind, winner-take-all matchup provides a great opportunity to show fans the benefits of AT&T and WarnerMedia coming together. For the first time since AT&T’s acquisition of Time Warner (now WarnerMedia), Turner, DirecTV and HBO will present a multi-faceted presentation of the live event and accompanying content across a vast array of platforms.”
In addition to producing the event coverage, Turner Sports will serve as the exclusive sales and sponsorship partner. Turner Sports and its Turner Ignite Sports will work closely with marketing partners to elevate their brands within this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, tapping into award-winning live events, experiential and creative marketing solutions.
The winner of the 18-hole duel will walk away with $9 million.
As part of the live event, both Woods and Mickelson will selectively make side-challenges against one another during the match. For instance, Woods or Mickelson could raise the stakes by challenging the other to a long-drive, closest-to-the-pin or similar competition during a hole as they play their match, with money being donated to the winning golfer’s charity of choice.
