CBS Sports Using Drones and Fly Cameras for PGA Championship Broadcast

Unfortunately, fans weren’t able to be present at the 102nd PGA Championship at Harding Park. The good news, though, is that CBS Sports got fans very close to the action thanks to the use of drones and fly cameras. Drones will be both at the practice range and throughout the competition. The tournament is now only major championship of the 2019-20 PGA Tour season.  The penultimate and final rounds showed on prime time TV (Aug 8-9).

Sportswriter Kyle Porter looked forward to the use of drones and fly cameras to cover the prestigious major. “The part I’m probably most excited about is the drone coverage,” notes Porter in his CBS Sports article announcing the hi-tech coverage. “I’ve been to majors before with drone coverage — Pebble Beach and Whistling Straits come to mind — and it always feels more big-time than normal, especially in prime time.”

Fans can definitely expect big-time coverage. A report on CBS’ coverage by CBSN Bay Area notes how the network is looking to provide the best remote viewing experience possible. PGA used FlyCams to give fans varying angles of players on the practice range. The stars of this hi-tech broadcast, though, were the squad of drones that the network deployed over the championship weekend. It gave viewers a unique bird’s-eye view of the action.

Good thing that no player voiced displeasure over CBS’ plan to use drones and fly cameras. It is in stark contrast to some players’ outright refusal to get mic’d up for the Charles Schwab Challenge coverage. Jim Nantz of CBS Golf states his disappointment.  He notes how audio “is such an important part of any sport’s broadcast.” Players such as Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth have their reasons, and CBS rightfully didn’t force the issue. Now there seems to be no opposition to CBS’ vision for hi-tech broadcasting. This will allow the network to fine-tune its broadcast strategy.

Drones are becoming increasingly popular with not just sports broadcasters but also spectators who want to capture the action. A recent report predicted that consumer drone shipments will hit 29 million by 2021. This shows how they have become the gadget of choice for many people and industries. The range of drones on Adorama shows just how accessible high-quality machines have become. Novices are now able to purchase the same models that professionals use. Unfortunately, this has caused some issues for the PGA Tour.  Its has had to deal with people illegally flying drones over tournament courses.

Most famously, aerial surveillance company Dedrone recorded in February 2018 dozens of drones flying in or nearby TPC Scottsdale in the lead-up to the Phoenix Open. In response, Scottsdale police issued a stern warning against fans not to fly drones in the area, as it was illegal to do so — especially near an airport. This time, though, there will be nothing illegal with CBS Golf flying drones all over Harding Park. The network wants to give fans great coverage, and drones and fly cams will be a big part of that.