When and Where
July 2. July 3. July 4. July 5.
It’s Independence Day weekend in Silvis, Illinois, which means one thing: grass, dirt, and $8.8 million. The John Deere Classic doesn’t mess around. It sits right before The Open, so players use this stretch to warm up their swings and their egos. Last year, Brian Campbell held off Seamus Power on the very first playoff hole. A par was enough. Imagine having it that easy.
This year’s field is heavy. Ben Griffin. Tom Kim. Keegan Bradley. They’re the favorites, obviously. Then there’s Jordan Spieth. Two-time winner here. No PGA Tour win in four years. He’ll be desperate, which is always fun to watch. Or exhausting. Depends on who you ask.
US Viewing Options
Here’s the setup for those with a cable subscription or the willingness to subscribe to three different apps before noon on Saturday.
CBS owns the latter stages. Golf Channel grabs the early bird special. Paramount+ carries the CBS feed if you don’t have linear TV. Simple, right?
Not quite.
If you want everything—the marquee groups, the featured holes, the shots that nobody else sees—you need ESPN+. They stream the main action from 7 a.m. ET until play wraps, Thursday through Sunday.
The TV landscape is fragmented enough without golf complicating it further.
Let’s break down the actual schedule, because timing matters more than platform if you live in a specific time zone.
Thursday
Golf Channel: 4 – 7 p.m.
ESPN+: 7:30 a.m. – 7
Friday
Golf Channel: 4 – 7 p.m
ESPN+: 7:45 a.m. –
Saturday
Golf Channel: 1 – 3 p.m
CBS / Paramount+: 3 – 6
ESPN+: 7:45 a.m. –
Sunday
Same as Saturday. 1 to 3 on GC. 3 to 6 on CBS/PPV. ESPN+ runs until the check is signed.
All times ET. Check your watch. Or your phone.
Streaming Prices: The American Hustle
Why are there so many choices? Because executives like subscriptions.
Paramount+
Two tiers. Essential ($9/month) has ads and no live CBS feeds. Useless for golf unless you plan to watch the news about the golf instead. Premium+ ($14/month) gives you live CBS. Students get 25% off, I’m told. A nice touch, really.
ESPN+
Confusing. Intentionally confusing? Maybe. They revamped the service. ESPN Select costs $13/month. This is basically the old ESPN+. You get the golf feeds. That’s it.
ESPN Unlimited is $30/month. You get all the cable channels (ESPN2, ESPNews, Deportes) plus the Plus content. Do you watch ESPNews for six hours? If so, buy it. If not, save the seventeen dollars.
Peacock
Cheapest way to get Golf Channel early in the day? Peacock Premium. $11/month. Ads included. No complaint about the price, though the ad count usually feels excessive. Premium+ is $17/month and removes them. Your eyes are safe, sort of.
Live TV Bundles
You want Golf Channel embedded in a package of channels you probably never watch?
Hulu + Live TV: $90/month.
Fubo: $85/month.
DirecTV Stream MySports: $85/month (includes an ESPN+ sub).
It’s a lot of money. It’s also golf.
Watching from Abroad
Not everyone has to jump through these hoops, apparently.
UK
Sky Sports has the rights. Broadcasts on Sky Sports Golf and Main Event channels. You can stream via Sky Go. Or use Now. Now allows single-day passes for £15. Just for Sunday. Perfect for the lazy watcher. Monthly pass starts at £35. Reasonable.
Australia
Fox Sports via Foxtel, or Kayo Sports for the rest of us. Kayo is solid. Base plan is AU$30 for one screen. Premium is AU$46 for three screens. Includes F1 and NFL too. No contract. Free trial available if you’re skeptical.
Canada
TSN handles the coverage. TSN Plus lets cord-cutters watch for CA$25/month. It comes with NFL, F1, NASCAR. Standard Canadian sports package. No surprises here.
So pick your poison. Buy the pass. Find a seat. The golf waits for no one, except perhaps the marshals waiting on a slow player at the 4th hole.
