There’s no question The Ryder Cup, the biennial showdown between the US and Europe’s best golfing talent, is a spectacle comparable to Grand Slams, NFL Super Bowl, The America’s Cup, Formula One and The Tour de France.
The competition jointly-run by the PGA of America and PGA European Tour is regularly cited as one of the world’s top ten sporting events and is beamed into 750 million homes worldwide. No doubt this is partly down to the quality and depth of the individual talent on display, but European Ryder Cup director Richard Hills believes the real key to the event’s popularity is its team component.
“Fans of The Ryder Cup recognise there’s something very special about players who normally compete with each other coming together as a part of a US or European team,” he tells SportBusiness International. “The passion of the players is partly explained by patriotism - but it’s also because many would have started their careers pulling together as part of teams.”
The headline numbers underline the growing appeal of the event. Back in 2006, TV rights sales meant that around 480 million homes in 40 countries were able to watch the Ryder Cup in Ireland. Roll forward to 2010 and 750 million homes in 195 countries will be able to tune in - courtesy of broadcasters including pay-operator Canal Plus in France and Spain, state-broadcaster CCTV in China and NBC in the US. NBC, to cite one example, consistently secures robust ratings for the event - with particularly impressive figures when the US won the event in September 2008 without the aid of Tiger Woods (up 22 per cent on the 2006 defeat at K Club, Ireland albeit with a time-slot difference). UK pay-platform Sky is another which secures strong viewing figures for the event, and it plans to use The Ryder Cup as the launch-pad for its ambitious new residential 3D offering.
This widespread fan appeal means that The Ryder Cup is generally able to deliver a robust commercial story. Hills is frank enough to admit that the recession has made selling the 2010 edition tough, “but we are certainly not dragging along the bottom. “In line with other leading sports franchises, hospitality has been a difficult market in the current climate - with the result that we have released some corporate ticket inventory to the general public. But we have sold sponsorship packages to brands including BMW, Emirates Airline, KPMG, Rolex and financial services company Citi.”
BMW’s recent renewal was a particular boost for the event - since it runs right through to the 2014 edition at Gleneagles in Scotland. “We see golf as an ideal environment through which to communicate with our customers and promote BMW values such as precision, dynamism and sportsmanship,” explains Ian Robertson, a board member for BMW Group with responsibility for sales and marketing. “Having been involved in golf for more than 20 years our commitment is long-term.”
Perhaps the most interesting aspect of this latest edition of The Ryder Cup is that it is being held in Wales for the first time - at a purpose-built course on the Celtic Manor Resort. The brainchild of Wales’ first-ever billionaire, entrepreneur Sir Terry Matthews, the arrival of The Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor is being heralded as the biggest ever sports event to come to Wales - with both the country and the nearby city of Newport expected to benefit. The decision to award the event to Celtic Manor was made before the course had been built.
Although this may have been viewed as something of a risk, there are clear upsides says Celtic Manor marketing director Gareth Rees Jones: “There’s always been an issue with getting 45,000 spectators close enough to see the action at a Ryder Cup - because of the nature of team play. So Celtic Manor has created a stadium course - which provides fans with maximum viewing opportunities at key points on the course. “Because we were designing the course with The Ryder Cup in mind, we were also able to work with the rights holder to make sure we selected the best hospitality and camera position. There are vast platforms for corporate hospitality running almost the entire length of the final three holes.”
For a full rights focus, please see the latest issue of SportBusiness International out September 1.
