History of The Golf Channel

In 1990, cable and cellular entrepreneur Joseph E. Gibbs of Birmingham, AL, offered to host a professional golfer for the 1990 PGA Championship.   Mr. Gibbs was thrilled to learn he would be hosting Arnold and Winnie Palmer during the week of the tournament.   The Palmers and Gibbs became instant friends and over the course of the next several months, as the friendship blossomed, so did discussion of a 24-hour cable network devoted entirely to golf.   Joe Gibbs had a hunch that enough interest existed among the public to support a 24-hour cable golf channel.  After contracting a Gallup Survey, Gibbs’ hunch was confirmed, there certainly was strong interest for a golf channel.   The concept was designed to provide a cable programming service, which would be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week of nothing but golf programming content to everyone who was interested in the game.   The successful cable entrepreneur and golf legend were convinced that The Golf Channel would flourish with only the finest offerings for their golf-loving viewer.   Gibbs and Palmer co-founded TGC, Inc. in 1990 and incorporated The Golf Channel in 1991.

It was February 10, 1993 when Gibbs and Palmer held a press conference announcing the creation of The Golf Channel.   By May of 1994 a consortium of six multiple system cable operators (MSO's), including Comcast Cable Communications, Continental Cablevision, Newhouse Broadcasting, Cablevision Industries, Adelphia Communications, and Times Mirror Company collectively made a substantial investment in the channel.   By January 17, 1995 The Golf Channel had secured more than $80 million to finance and launch the channel.  The Golf Channel débuted with less than 1,000 subscribers.  And, The Golf Channel’s first live televised tournament was the Dubai Desert Classic, which aired January 19-22, 1995.

By keeping focused on the business plan and all the key initiatives, within just a few short years, TGC had made significant strides forward. 

• The Golf Channel launched its website www.thegolfchannel.com in 1996

• TGC launched its product in Japan and Canada

• The Company released its first home video, won its first Cable Ace award and premiered its first documentary Arnold Palmer: Golf’s Heart and Soul by late summer 1998

• The Golf Channel introduced its Jr. Golf Skills initiative in 1999

• Also in early 1999 -The Golf Channel reached “break-even”.

• Comcast Communications acquired majority ownership in 2000