For golf fans, the commercial load is probably the most difficult part of watching the sport. It can be too much sometimes, interrupting the flow of the event. However, the TV networks airing the PGA Tour shell out nearly a billion dollars per year for the rights to show the golf, so they have to make it back somehow.
The good news for golf fans is that the final round of the 2023 Sentry Tournament of Champions will conclude without commercials on TV.
NBC and Golf Channel shared that the final hour of Sunday's final round from Kapalua Resort's Plantation Course will be aired without commercial interruption thanks to a sponsorship from Topgolf Callaway. Callaway will be promoting their new Paradym lineup of drivers, fairway woods and hybrids during the hour, but that won't be happening with commercial breaks.
We've seen these kinds of commercial-free hours before, but they typically happen during a major championship -- like when Rolex has stepped in to pay for a commercial-free final hour -- or during the Tour Championship, which plays out just prior to primetime hours. (Thanks, Rolex! If I can afford one, I'll get one.) However, NBC said this is the first time this has happened during a primetime golf broadcast on their platforms.
Obviously this is good news for fans who want to enjoy what could be a thrilling conclusion with as little interruption as possible. The only potential bad news is if the tournament winds up becoming a runaway on Sunday, meaning there's not much drama at the top of the leaderboard and a whole lot more time to fill.
Regardless, if the PGA Tour and its broadcast partners could make a business model out of a commercial-free final hour on Sunday telecasts, golf fans would be absolutely thrilled about that as a development for the new year.
