“Consistency and loyalty are two very important factors” - Jim Nantz expresses confidence, not concerned about Golf TV viewership
Sports commentator Jim Nantz recently shared his confidence in golf's dedicated audience. He emphasized that comparing golf to the NFL is not appropriate, asserting that the former stands on a very solid footing.
This week, The Farmers Insurance Open by the PGA Tour commenced on Wednesday and is scheduled to conclude on Saturday, accommodating the NFL conference championship game on Sunday.
This raises questions about how golf tour events have to adapt to viewers' preferences, especially considering the special attention given to the NFL. However, the CBS commentator has a completely different perspective on the matter.
Jim Nantz said during a conversation with Gabrielle Herzig of Sports Illustrated (via awfulannoucing.com):
“Golf in the media landscape is on very solid footing. You can’t get caught up in trying to compare it to the NFL, because there is nothing that can compare it to the NFL in terms of audience draw.”
Nantz also shared his pride in having the opportunity to broadcast PGA Tour events every week. He added:
“It’s an honor to try to be able to broadcast the PGA tour to that fan base on a weekly basis.”
Lastly, Jim Nantz emphasized that consistency and loyalty are two important factors of golf.
“We enjoy the stops along the way. That consistency and that loyalty are two very important factors in golf and its place in the media landscape.”
Jim Nantz recently predicted the winner of the 2024 Masters
Since the start of the current PGA Tour season, the Masters Tournament has garnered significant attention from both golfers and enthusiasts, with many sharing their perspectives on the event.
Recently, Jim Nantz picked Jordan Spieth as a potential winner of the Augusta event, citing his previous victory at the tournament and his history of strong finishes.
Nantz said (via henryherald.com):
““I'm going to throw one name out there, and I'll go with Jordan Spieth. If you look at his career record at Augusta, it's phenomenal what he's done. Now, I know that a lot of that happened in ‘14, ‘15, ‘16, but he had a run of years where he had top-fives, top-twos, a victory.”
It is important to note that even last year, the 30-year-old golfer maintained solid form in the event, finishing in T4 position in the Masters. He was just five strokes behind the winner, Jon Rahm.
Nonetheless, it remains to be seen whether Jim Nantz's early prediction about Jordan Spieth will come to fruition.