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Looking for proof that disc golf is more than a fad, something that flourished during the pandemic and then fluttered and fizzled like a poorly thrown disc? Then consider this: The 2022 United States Disc Golf Championship at Winthrop University in Rock Hill, S.C., earlier this month — featuring almost 100 of the best male players from around the world — was livestreamed.
That’s right. Livestreamed. Just like soccer and mixed martial arts.
“We’re thrilled to continue to add more events, more content, and more value to the Disc Golf Network inclusions for subscribers,” Jeff Spring, chief executive officer of the Disc Golf Network, said prior to the event. “Not only have we invested in the development and improvement of our live broadcasts, but into the acquisition and development of media rights for the most important and prestigious events in the world, like the USDGC. We’re honored to continue our partnership with the USDGC and Event Director, Jonathan Poole, and we’re excited to deliver the most content we’ve ever created for one event!”
DGN is the home of live disc golf, offering streaming coverage of all Disc Golf Pro Tour events. A subscription costs $11.99 per month and also includes post-produced coverage of select disc golf tournaments, exclusive disc golf shows, interviews with touring pros, podcasts and more. As of August 2020, it had 12,000 subscribers — nearly double the number it had at the start of the pandemic shutdown in mid-March of that year. By May 2022, the online network had more than 33,000 subscribers, according to RougeDiscs.com, a resource site for the sport.
DGN has significantly enhanced the sport’s appeal, to the point where fans now demand livestreaming of major events.
“I don’t think Worlds or any major tournament will be held in a spot that doesn’t allow live coverage to happen,” Mahmoud Bahrani, media director of the Disc Golf Pro Tour (DGPT) and lead producer for DGN., told RogueDiscs.com. “It’s sort of expected now that the biggest tournaments are broadcasted, and I don’t feel like that was the case many years ago.”
As RogueDiscs notes, DGN is only about three years old, and it has endured harsh criticism on online message boards. “People complained of poor quality in both the coverage as well as the commentator arenas,” Nicholas Wilson wrote. “They were broadcasting all of these tournaments with only four cameras on the ground for the first years. Four cameras for live coverage! Needless to say, everyone at the DGN was working hard to produce live coverage, and big changes were afoot.”
Today, according to RogueDiscs.com, seven cameras onsite allow for more coverage of multiple cards, and live drone footage adds new perspectives for viewers.
Another provider of disc golf video coverage is JomezPro, which has a YouTube channel with 413,000 subscribers but does not yet provide live coverage.
“To be clear, [the JomezPro] team is the best in the business at what they do. The camera work is sharp, the commentary is beloved, and the graphics and music are the standard by which all other coverage is judged,” notes Ultiworld Disc Golf, a leading news media website dedicated to the sport, in a September article titled “Is Post-Production Disc Golf Coverage Doomed?” “[But] watching the final round Jomez coverage of 2021 Worlds is a weird experience. It’s soap operatic. By the time it was uploaded, everyone knew exactly what happened, including the player-commentary team who were visible in the background on the final hole.”
As the trend toward more live (vs. post-produced) coverage of disc golf events continues, it’s important to note that the number of disc golf courses worldwide increased to 13,323 in 2021 — a 15% change from 2020 — according to “The 2022 Disc Golf Growth Report” from UDisc, a website and app that helps disc golfers find courses and leagues, as well as track their own progress as a player. Nearly 9,000 of those 13,323 disc golf courses are in the United States, with Norway, Canada and Sweden leading the way in new-course openings in 2021.
More than half of all disc golf courses are built in public parks, but other key locations include actual golf courses, schools and universities, breweries and wineries, and ski areas. What’s more, 90% of all courses are still free to play.
“Fueled by a potent combination of players sharing their love for the game and hard-working organizers building more and more courses, disc golf is seemingly powered by rocket fuel,” UDisc’s report concludes. “The sport continues its journey to the stratosphere in 2022.”
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