The PGA TOUR has recently made more tech-based efforts to attract more fans and engage their existing ones. A few days ago, Microsoft partnered with the PGA TOUR to provide new data-driven fan engagement. Now, the PGA TOUR wants to further this engagement to fans worldwide with the signing of iQIYI as the official Digital Streaming Portal in China.
IQIYI was launched in August 2012 and lets users watch golf, tennis, NFL, auto racing, equestrian and extreme sports over their platform. The company attracts millions of high-quality users due to their ability to partner with the world’s leading sports federations and their experience of streaming events.
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The five-year agreement between iQIYI and the PGA TOUR will give golf fans in China the ability to watch over 1,500 hours of live streaming of more than 40 PGA TOUR tournaments each year, such as the Players Championship, the FedEx Cup events, the Presidents Cup, and the World Cup. Fans can also watch exclusive content like player interviews or on and off-course highlights.
Fans watching from China will be able to stream iQIYI first during the Hyundai Tournament of Champions. The tournament takes place in Hawaii and streaming begins January 7th via iQIYI’s PC, mobile and OTT platforms.
Together they are working to produce customized and original content that will connect with a broader audience. The founder and CEO of iQIYI, Gong Yu, noted in a press release that there’s a high degree of synergy between PGA TOUR and IQIYI. He also believes as an important media platform for the TOUR in China, iQIYI’s millions of quality users and massive traffic will be an excellent channel to help further the development of golf in China.
“The PGA Tour is delighted to enter this five-year agreement with iQIYI, the leading video streaming site in China,” said Tim Finchmen, PGA TOUR Commissioner. “The quality of the audience that iQIYI will deliver through video platforms, combined with the potential benefits Baidu will offer, ensures the TOUR will have the broadest possible exposure for all our tournaments. We are also very excited that fans throughout China will be able to enjoy primetime coverage of the TOUR for the first time through iQIYI with Thursday and Friday coverage of marquee groups that tee off in the morning U.S. time.”