PGA tour walks over to CNBC

-- Broadcasting & Cable, 5/1/2000

CNBC has acquired the rights to the Senior PGA golf tour away from ESPN in a new four-year deal that takes effect in 2001. CNBC will air all 33 Senior PGA tournaments each year, and Pax TV will air early-round coverage of each tournament.

It's the latest deal in which Pax, of which NBC owns 32%, will benefit from NBC programming. Last week, NBC said it will re-air the Nightly News With Tom Brokaw on Pax, and that most of the Olympic trials for upcoming Sydney games would air as original programming on Pax.

Parties were mum on the fee but said it's an increase over the previous package. ESPN has carried the senior tour since 1984, a tour spokesman said.