[PHOTO: Andrew Redington]
Netflix will air a live golf exhibition match on its platforms featuring Rickie Fowler, Max Homa, Justin Thomas and Collin Morikawa next month.
The streaming service is copying the success of “The Match” celebrity series by fusing two of its programs—the golf-centric “Full Swing” and F1 series “Drive to Survive”—for a made-for-TV (or second-screen) spectacle. “The Netflix Cup” will be the streamer’s first live sporting event, pitting the aforementioned golfers with four drivers in a matchplay tournament at the Wynn Golf Club in Las Vegas.
The Wynn—a Tom Fazio design that ranks 10th in Golf Digest’s Best Golf Courses in Nevada list—has previously hosted three of the last four iterations of“The Match”.
“The PGA Tour is proud to participate in this significant milestone for Netflix and we look forward to showcasing our sport’s professional athletes to a live global audience,” said Norb Gambuzza, PGA Tour senior vice-president of media and gaming. “New and diverse audiences have come to know more about both our sports and their athletes through ‘Full Swing’ and ‘Drive to Survive’, and we are excited to team up with Netflix, Formula 1 and the Las Vegas Grand Prix on this exciting concept.”
Behind the scenes of Netflix’s highly anticipated golf docuseries
Netflix released the first season of “Full Swing”—a docudrama that takes viewers behind the scenes of professional golfers’ lives on and off the course—this past February. According to the tour, data indicates the sour had a significant impact on TV ratings this past season “Full Swing” was available in 190 countries and 32 languages and it reached Netflix Top 10 worldwide, including No.2 in the U.S. and U.K., and No.1 in Ireland.
The event will air on Wednesday, November 15, Australian time.
