Turner has unveiled its plans for coverage of Tiger Woods’s pay-per-view match with Phil Mickelson. Adam Lefkoe will host a star-studded pre-match show beginning one hour before the players tee off. His panel of experts will include golfer Pat Perez, NBA legend and legendarily bad golfer Charles Barkley, and Oscar nominee Samuel L. Jackson. The last two certainly are not coincidental additions, given that this is a Capitol One sponsored event and Barkley and Jackson star in the company’s commercials alongside director Spike Lee.
The match itself will feature a high profile broadcast team as well. Earnie Johnson will call the play-by-play. He will be joined by analysts Peter Jacobson and Darren Clarke. Shane Bacon and LPGS star Natalie Gulbis will serve as course reporters.
It can be argued that these are not novelties, but necessities to make The Match: Tiger vs Phil a success. After all, this is a pay-per-view golf match that organizers are asking fans to pay nearly $20 to watch on Black Friday, a day that sports fans can have their pick of college football games for free.
As previously announced, Turner is adding a lot of tricks and gimmicks to the broadcast. They include mics on both golfers and their caddies and in-match wagering between the two. The event is also getting extensive supplemental coverage with specials being produced for HBO, Bleacher Report and House of Highlights.
