Golf Channel introduces combined PGA Tour logo for select coverage

Golf Channel and the PGA Tour have released a new, combined logo design that will be used in conjunction with the network’s coverage of PGA events.

The new design will roll out with the PGA Tour’s The Players championship coverage the week of March 7, 2022.

It will also appear during Golf Channel’s general PGA Tour coverage as well during its DP World Tour broadcasts, which are produced through a partnership with the PGA European Tour organization.

Outside of these events, the existing Golf Channel logo will be used. The network is not, as some outlets have reported, changing its logo entirely and it will also continue to be known as simply “Golf” in common speak.

The blended design takes the existing Golf Channel logo and merges it with the iconic PGA Tour “swingman” mark.

The PGA Tour logo is normally set inside of a blue box with rounded corners, and this serves as the inspiration for a wrapper that serves to unify the two marks, with the NBC peacock and stylized “Golf” wordmark placed to the left with a thick blue border on three sides.

On the far right of the word “Golf,” a diagonal slope that matches the angles found in the hook of the “G” and tips of the “F” and forms a divider between the two brands’ marks.

In the co-branded lockup, the word “Golf” also becomes the same solid blue as the PGA Tour logo background.

Advertisement

However, for current coverage of The Players, the combined logo gets a gold and blue color scheme to better match the insert graphics that, in turn, match The Players branding.

“This is an incredible opportunity to bring golf’s iconic brands together,” said Jenny Storms, CMO, NBC Entertainment and Sports, in a statement. “Golf Channel is the TV home of golf in the U.S., and the PGA Tour is home to the best male golfers on the planet. This new Golf Channel logo represents the strong partnership between NBC Sports and the PGA Tour and galvanizes the power of these brands.”

On social media, the Golf Channel has swapped out the PGA Tour version of the logo as its profile avatar, which has caused some to think the combined logo is replacing the standalone one entirely, which is not the case. It’s not uncommon for brands from all industries to switch their social media profile imagery out temporarily to help promote major events, partnerships, campaigns or other initiatives. 

Notably, the combined Golf-PGA Tour logo doesn’t appear to have a square version and its wide horizontal design makes it very difficult to read in most social media feed applications. 

Golf Channel will also introduce a cobranded logo for its LPGA coverage later in March 2022.

NBCUniversal acquired the Golf Channel in 2011 and it switched to its current logo in 2013, though the peacock had combined with network branding prior to that. The logo has also undergone some minor updates over the years.

NBC also airs golf coverage under the name “Golf Channel on NBC.” 

The typography in the word “Golf” is also used with a variety of other programs and initiatives within the Golf Channel family, including “Golf Central” and its membership program GolfPass.

In the world of sports broadcasting, it’s common to see a mashup of logos like the PGA Tour-Golf Channel one and it can be tricky to combine two different logos with differing brand standards into one design that all parties can agree on. 

Often these designs have to combine a league or association logo with network branding, but designers also frequently have to wrestle with incorporating named sponsors’ logos as well. 

The result is often an unavoidable look that’s both cluttered and confusing — something that’s perhaps compounded by the fact the Golf Channel uses its own wordmark with a highly recognizable standalone logo, the NBC peacock, so the combo logo almost ends up looking like three different logos were combined rather than just the two.

Advertisement