By Phillip Swann
The TV Answer Man –Follow on X.
Former editor of Satellite DIRECT magazine. Reported on DIRECTV for 30 years.
TV Answer Man, do you know if DIRECTV will have the Players Championship in 4K? What about the basketball tournaments? 4K or no 4K on DIRECTV? — Mark, Sacramento, California.
Mark, NBC Sports will begin coverage of the 2024 Players Championship on Peacock and the Golf Channel at noon ET on Thursday (March 14). The tournament, which will be played at The Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, will continue on the Golf Channel and Peacock at noon ET on Friday (March 15) and it will be on NBC and Peacock on Saturday (March 16) from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. ET and 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. ET on Sunday (March 17).
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But to your question: Will DIRECTV show the coverage in 4K? Answer: Yes and no.
A DIRECTV spokesman tells The TV Answer Man that DIRECTV’s satellite service will carry NBC’s coverage on Thursday and Friday in 4K. However, the satcaster will not have Saturday and Sunday in 4K. In addition, DIRECTV Stream will not offer any of the Players Championship in 4K.
The spokesman did not offer an official reason for the lack of 4K coverage of the golf tournament on Saturday and Sunday. But he noted that DIRECTV Stream won’t have the Players Championship in 4K because it has just two live 4K channels and it will need those for Fox’s 4K broadcasts of the Big East, Big Ten and Pac-12 college basketball tournaments which start Wednesday (March 13).
(Note: It’s unclear if DIRECTV Stream will have Pac-12 tournament games in 4K although they are listed in the streamer’s on-screen guide. The DIRECTV spokesman said the Pac-12 games may only be available regionally. We will update this article if we get more information from DIRECTV.)
Comcast, YouTube TV and a few other TV providers may also offer the Players Championship in 4K but we have not confirmed that as of Tuesday morning.
The Players Championship is expected to include most of the sport’s top golfers including Scottie Scheffler; Rory McIlroy; Jordan Spieth; Justin Thomas; Max Homa and Rickie Fowler, among others.
Mark, hope that helps. Happy viewing and stay safe!
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The TV Answer Man is veteran journalist Phillip Swann who has covered the TV technology scene for more than three decades. He will report on the latest news and answer your questions regarding new devices and services that are changing the way you watch television. See the bio for Phillip Swann here.
