Golf Channel President Mike McCarley to be Opening Speaker at GCAA and WGCA Conventions
NORMAN, Okla. – Golf Channel President Mike McCarley will be the opening speaker at the GCAA and WGCA national conventions held Dec. 9-11 in Las Vegas. McCarley will discuss Golf Channel’s strategic plans to bring more attention to collegiate golf, including coverage of the Division I Championships.
“With the recent announcement of Golf Channel’s commitment to televise both championships, this is a terrific time for Mr. McCarley to address both of our associations,” said GCAA President Todd Satterfield. “We are very excited about their commitment to increase the exposure of college golf and we look forward to hearing his vision.”
“We are so excited to have Mike as the opening speaker at this year’s convention,” stated WGCA President Janet Carl. “This is another milestone to the 2013 convention as we enter into a new arrangement with Golf Channel and coverage of men’s and women’s college golf. All teams have the potential to gain national exposure and Golf Channel’s commitment for equal coverage between both the men and women is ground breaking in the history of NCAA sports.”
Mike McCarley was named President of Golf Channel in February 2011 after overseeing strategic marketing and communications for NBC Sports & Olympics. Currently, McCarley runs NBCUniversal’ s portfolio of golf assets including Golf Channel – one of the fastest-growing networks on U.S. television – Golf Channel on NBC, GolfChannel.com, GolfNow and other related golf lifestyle businesses.
Golf Channel is pacing to make 2013 its most-watched year in the network’s history, eclipsing the record audience marks set in both 2011 and 2012. The network is currently available in more than 120 million homes in 83 countries worldwide, including 85 million homes in the U.S. Under McCarley’s leadership, Golf Channel has expanded its high-quality programming slate and increased viewership across all dayparts, as well as built the #1 digital platform in golf with the network’s digital portfolio. Additionally, McCarley played a key role in the NBC Sports Group’s television rights negotiations with the PGA TOUR, resulting in NBC extending its partnership and expanding Golf Channel’s opportunities through 2021. McCarley has been recognized for his leadership in the sports and television industries, including induction into Sports Business Journal’s “Forty Under 40” Hall of Fame, being named to Broadcasting & Cable’s 2013 “Next Wave of Leaders” list, and Cynopsis Sports Media designating him 2012’s “Network Executive of the Year.”
Before leading NBC Sports’ golf portfolio, McCarley served as Senior Vice President, Communications, Marketing and Promotions, NBC Sports & Olympics since August 2008. He has worked seven Olympic Games, created the award-winning “Sunday Night is Football Night” campaign and was the architect of NBC Sports’ highly successful “Big Event Strategy,” which marshals all NBCUniversal assets to make the audiences for the biggest events in sports even bigger.