PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Florida – The PGA TOUR and its media partners – CBS Sports, ESPN, Golf Channel and NBC – today unveiled Rapid Rounds, a new way for fans to catch up on every shot from the biggest names on CBS, Golf Channel and NBC telecasts as well as Featured Group and Marquee Group players on PGA TOUR LIVE on ESPN+, and tee them up with top storylines for the next day’s live tournament broadcasts.
Starting this week at the 3M Open, ESPN, Golf Channel, CBS Sports and the PGA TOUR will release select rapid-fire versions of full player rounds featured within each day’s telecasts and streams, available to fans in the hours after play has been completed for the day. The first new uploads of Rapid Rounds videos will be available via ESPN and TOUR platforms this Thursday from the 3M Open. First round Main Feed coverage, which also is available to stream on ESPN on Disney+, begins earlier that day. Fans can also expect additional Rapid Rounds from CBS Sports digital platforms featuring the biggest names at the top of the leaderboard competing this weekend at TPC Twin Cities. NBC Sports platforms will post Rapid Rounds in August with the FedEx St. Jude Championship as well the final two FedExCup Playoffs events.
"With more cameras and streams covering PGA TOUR tournaments than ever before, Rapid Rounds will offer an additional way for fans to watch each drive, approach and putt from select players showcased across all our media platforms," said Norb Gambuzza, PGA TOUR Executive Vice President, Media. "Whether reliving an incredible round, catching up on the game’s biggest names, or if they missed that day’s action, Rapid Rounds offers a fast, easy way for fans to engage with their favorite stars and get excited for the next day’s live coverage."
Rapid Rounds is the latest enhancement to stem from the TOUR’s Fan Forward initiative, which collected insights from more than 50,000 diverse respondents to help create the best version of the PGA TOUR. Through Fan Forward, 44 percent of casual fans and 42 percent of core fans said they want to see more highlights and round recaps, the largest category of fan preference among six content enhancement options.
Added 16-time PGA TOUR winner Justin Thomas: "It’s incredibly rewarding to see Rapid Rounds come to life, as it’s been a passion project for us on the PGA TOUR’s Fans, Tournaments and Sponsors Player Advisory Council Subcommittee. Fan Forward has provided us with important direction on what PGA TOUR fans are craving, and we've worked hard to deliver an innovative way for our fans to engage with our players and tournaments. We are grateful for the TOUR's media partners for embracing and supporting this new series."
CBS will provide weekend coverage for each of the next two PGA TOUR events, the 3M Open and Wyndham Championship, before coverage shifts to NBC for the FedExCup Playoffs – the FedEx St. Jude Championship, BMW Championship and TOUR Championship.
Throughout the PGA TOUR season, PGA TOUR LIVE on ESPN+ gives fans access to more than 4,300 live and exclusive hours covering 35 tournaments, including all eight of the TOUR’s Signature Events in 2025. PGA TOUR LIVE on ESPN+ is part of the TOUR’s nine-year domestic media rights portfolio announced in March 2020, and in the first three years of the partnership PGA TOUR LIVE has been the most-streamed live content on ESPN+ and is on track to continue that trend in 2025.
Rapid Rounds – in test phase through the remainder of 2025 – is the most recent example of the TOUR’s Fan Forward initiative, which launched last year in an effort to accelerate innovations that increase fan connections with the PGA TOUR and the game of golf. Fan Forward is an ongoing initiative, and outreach continues as new innovations are tested and implemented to create the best version of the PGA TOUR.
CONTACTS:
Chris Cox, PGA TOUR, chriscox@pgatourhq.com
Jeff Szklinski, CBS Sports, Jeff.Szklinski@paramount.com
Jamie Palatini, NBC Universal, Jamie.palatini@nbcuni.com
Kevin Ota, ESPN, kevin.r.ota@espn.com
About PGA TOUR
By showcasing golf’s greatest players, the PGA TOUR engages, inspires and positively impacts our fans, partners and communities worldwide.
The PGA TOUR, headquartered in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, co-sanctions tournaments on the PGA TOUR, PGA TOUR Champions, Korn Ferry Tour, PGA TOUR Americas and administers PGA TOUR Q-School presented by Korn Ferry and PGA TOUR University. TOUR members represent the world’s best players, hailing from 28 countries and territories. Showcasing the biggest moments in the sport with history and legacy on the line, the PGA TOUR has long-term domestic distribution partnerships for broadcast coverage on CBS, NBC and Golf Channel and video streaming service on ESPN+. Internationally, PGA TOUR coverage is available across 200+ countries and territories in 30 languages via 39 broadcast and digital partners. Virtually all tournaments are organized as non-profit organizations to maximize charitable giving, and to date, tournaments across all Tours have generated more than $4 billion.
Fans can follow the PGA TOUR on the new PGA TOUR app and PGATOUR.COM, and on social media channels, including Facebook, Instagram (in Spanish, Korean and Japanese), LinkedIn, TikTok, X (in English, Spanish and Japanese), WhatsApp (in English and Spanish), WeChat, Weibo, Toutiao and Douyin.
About the PGA TOUR’s Fan Forward initiative
Launched by the PGA TOUR in 2024, Fan Forward is the single largest fan outreach in the organization’s history, with more than 50,000 participating fans, inclusive of core, casual and non-golf sports fans. Fan Forward research provides the PGA TOUR with vital data around who its fans are, what they want to see more of and how the organization can deepen fans’ love of the PGA TOUR and the game of golf. The data identified four recurring themes, areas where the PGA TOUR must drive innovation and change to further increase fan engagement: Broadcast Presentation (Deliver More Golf Per Minute), Competition Adjustments (Maximize Drama on Every Hole), Player Profiles & Content (Make Players More Relatable) and On-Site Experience (Give Every Event a Purpose). Fan Forward is an ongoing initiative, as outreach to fans will continue and new innovations will be tested and implemented on an ongoing basis in an effort to create the best version of the PGA TOUR. For more information on the PGA TOUR’s Fan Forward initiative and to view examples of Fan Forward-driven innovation, visit https://www.pgatour.com/fanforward.