After feasting on Thanksgiving turkey, marquee sports match up enthusiasts can skip Black Friday shopping and enjoy a premium purchase of a different kind: The Match, a pay-per-view event between two of golf’s biggest stars, Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods. This is the first time that golf has ever been televised in a pay-per-view format, and WarnerMedia’s Turner Sports is pulling out all the stops for the high-profile event with a $9 million purse at stake. For $19.99, viewers can watch the event via select cable, satellite and digital streaming services, including Turner’s Bleacher Report Live app. Will Funk (pictured below), Turner’s Executive Vice President of Sales and Property Partnerships and head of Turner Ignite Sports, shared details with MediaVillage on why golf works in the PPV format, why The Match limited its sponsor roll to just three brands, and how Woods and Mickelson may up the ante -- and the telecast’s drama.
Alli Romano: When I think of pay-per-view sports, I think of boxing, pro wrestling or mixed martial arts, not golf. What was the inspiration for this event and why do you think it will work as PPV?
Will Funk: As far as we know, this is the first time that golf has ever been televised in this way. When you talk about boxing and MMA, you’re talking about two heavyweight stars battling each other head-to-head. When you have a dynamic like that, it warrants a different kind of treatment. That