• by Melynda Fuller , May 13, 2019

Discovery, Inc. will be the new home of Golf Digest and its portfolio of brands, after being sold by Conde Nast, the companies report.

Golf Digest chairman-EIC Jerry Tarde will join Discovery Golf and hold the additional title of global head of strategy and content, Discovery Golf. He has been Golf Digest’s top editor since 1984.

Under the agreement, Discovery Inc. will operate Golf Digest, Golf World, Golf Digest Schools and The Loop. Golf Digest’s reach will be combined with Discovery’s new live and on-demand video streaming service GolfTV, to reach new and deepen existing relationships with audiences.

Following the acquisition, Golf Digest’s multiplatform content will be distributed globally on GolfTV and give Discovery’s global golf media business a dominating presence in the U.S. as it creates a digital network from its Golf Digest and PGA Tour content.

GolfTV is available in all international markets, excluding the U.S., China and South Korea.

The acquisition creates additional synergy across the brands: Golf Digest has been an official PGA Tour marketing partner since 2006 and GolfTV offers exclusive carriage of the PGA Tour, in addition to the European Tour, the Ladies European Tour and the Masters Tournament, in select territories outside the U.S.

Discovery also holds exclusive global content partnerships with multi-time PGA Tour winners Tiger Woods and Francesco Molinari. Woods’ partnership with Discovery is a point of interest as the company seeks to optimize the relationship across Golf Digest and PGA Tour platforms, in addition to a slate of content to be produced with GolfTV.

David Zaslav, president-CEO of Discovery, Inc., stated that the aim was to “bolster GolfTV’s international offerings with Golf Digest’s award-winning journalism, broad consumer reach and deep content library, while also creating the largest U.S. digital golf business.”

In addition to the acquisition of Golf Digest, Discovery and the PGA Tour have expanded their 12-year strategic partnership to encompass a new content and sales relationship domestically.

The entities will join forces to create a one-stop activation platform for advertisers to reach audiences across editorial coverage, video streaming, digital, social, print and branded content opportunities. A newly created sales force will represent Golf Digest, PGA Tour and GolfTV platforms.

Golf Digest’s sales team will continue in its role during a transitional period, until the Discovery and PGA Tour sales integration is complete.

Slated to celebrate its 70th anniversary next year, Golf Digest earns nearly half its revenue from digital advertising and reaches 4.8 million readers each month, in addition to counting 60 million video views and 2.2 million social followers.

The outlet will continue to publish its monthly print edition and Discovery will assume global licenses for international editions reaching nearly 70 countries. Discovery currently reaches 220 markets and territories globally with its properties.