American Family Insurance T'd Up Invitational on Twitch Offers Celebrities, Simulated Golf VISTA Worldlink, Group 33 allow virtual matches be played around the country By Kristian Hernandez, Associate Editor
Tuesday, January 12, 2021 - 12:13 pm
Print This Story | Subscribe
Story Highlights
At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, live sports were at a premium. To fill the void, personality-filled events like Turner Sports' The Match: Champions for Charity and The Match: Champions for Change occupied the television landscape. More recently, VISTA Worldlink and its partners are allowing golf fans of all ages to enjoy a virtualized version of the game with the American Family Insurance T'd Up Invitational on Twitch.
We originally looked to launch in April, says Rob Striar, president, marketing and managing partner, T'd Up, M Style, but, in early May, we shifted the concept from having only professional golfers involved to adding celebrity golfers that would add broader appeal, provide more banter, etc. We spoke with several broadcast partners, but, ultimately, we thought Twitch was a fantastic partner for us because of their engagement and the ability to build an audience and community.
More Than Golf: Digital Show Highlights Variety of Content A 10-person crew producing American Family Insurance T'd Up Invitational work in two separate control rooms.
Since March, the pandemic has emptied the normally full sports schedule. With minimal televised activities over the summer, the creation of T'd Up was conceived during a perfect time to capture the attention of fans who have more free time on their schedules. With the new opportunity, Group 33 and JP Sports & Entertainment, a specialist in sponsorship marketing and celebrities' charitable events and the entity driving T'd Up, are relying on their experience with golf simulators and unique events alike.
It certainly required some modifications in how we approach an event, says Pete Falcone, CEO, JP Sports & Entertainment, but [our history with simulators] helped us avoid a learning curve. It also helped us turn this project around quickly when we had to get started.
Digital gaming platforms like Twitch have seen an uptick in traffic because so many people are at home, and, with a refreshed take on the traditional game of golf, both avid and casual supporters from all demographics flocked to the product.
We're attracting an entirely different demographic, says Striar. If you're not into golf, we'll open you up to a sport that you may not have been focused on. If you are, you'll enjoy celebrities that may be some of your favorites or you may not have had exposure to previously.
While old-school competition is one reason to stick around, the show brings another wrinkle of interest: the stories that the celebrities have to tell. With participants ranging from actors Don Cheadle and Anthony Anderson to former athletes Eric Dickerson and Matt Leinart, the show covers the gamut of experiences and topics of discussion.
Talent and guests participate from offsite locations.
I think people come for the golf but stay for the conversation and are engaged by the entertainment, adds Striar. We're able to capture these unique moments from the celebrities. When we had [actor] Tom Felton on, we thought the Twitch chat got hacked because there were so many different languages in each of his huge fan bases in Portugal, Spain, and Italy. It really spoke to massive response to the show we have had.
With the postponement of film recordings, photoshoots, and other public events, the celebrities who participate in these digital live streams are searching for something to do as well. From a logistical standpoint, JP Sports & Entertainment VP Kevin Marsh is responsible for coordinating the celebrity appearances. It's an impressive juggling act to book new personalities and refresh the content for every show, but the relationships that have been made over the years have helped maintain a consistent flow of faces.
We've been working with celebrities for a while, he explains, and we know that their schedules are always TBD until the last minute. We've managed events that benefit their foundations or charities, and, now with [COVID-19] restrictions, they're unable to raise money for these causes. They're happy to [join] to do something different but also to raise some awareness for the things that they care about.
The Engine Behind the Match: Remote Production Takes Over VISTA Worldlink Facility Looking for a partner to execute the technical side of the project, JP Sports & Entertainment turned to industry veteran Michael Cohen and his expertise. Cohen, who helped produce the 2018 USL Cup and 2020 NWSL season, brought VISTA Worldlink into the picture as technical lead for these digital shows on Twitch.
A second control room is being used to ensure a steady transmission workflow.
VISTA has shown that they've been ahead of the curve in the remote-production world, he says. When you take a look at what T'd Up is, it's a show that would not have been televised years ago, but now, with the technology that's available, it was the right time for this to all come together.
With the ongoing pandemic, producing this show with maximum health and safety protocols was a high priority. Traditional productions have become difficult to do, so remote production was the most responsible approach.
[Shows] don't want a 40-person crew and additional mobile units and uplink trucks, says Cohen. The traditional way we were always thinking about producing television has yielded to this new form of technology because it allows us to bring the same product with an alternative method.
The on-screen element has become a sure-fire success, but it wouldn't b
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
14/11/2026
Longtime MLB Network employee David Maybrown passed away Thursday at the age of 57. David joined MLB Network in 2009 shortly after its launch, beginning as an i...
14/11/2026
Modular innovators introduce two guitar-based products
ADDAC System's recently introduced Four String Series makes it possible to integrate physical str...
14/11/2026
Marcelo Dai's Live Session Captured with URSA Cine Immersive
Brie Clayton November 14, 2026
0 Comments
Artist takes viewers on an immersive journe...
14/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
14/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
14/11/2026
Newest Lenses, Horizon Anamorphic Seminar & Guided Lens Character Experience Highlight Creative Possibilities
At the 2026 Toru CAMERIMAGE Film Festival, ZEISS...
14/11/2026
Sonnet Announces Black Friday Sale on Select Products
Brie Clayton November 14, 2026
0 Comments
WHAT: Sonnet Technologies is having a sale on a select...
14/11/2026
Berklee Alumni Shine at the 2026 Latin Grammy Awards This year's winners included songwriters, engineers, and performers who contributed to acclaimed reco...
13/11/2026
The UIM E1 Series wraps its third season this week with the Bombay Sapphire E1 Miami GP, Nov. 11-14, on Biscayne Bay at the Miami Seaplane Base on Watson Island...
13/11/2026
In-venue and creative video staffers at the professional and collegiate level ha...
13/11/2026
Singer-songwriter Benson Boone will headline entertainment for the Discover NHL Winter Classic between the Utah Mammoth and Colorado Avalanche at Rice-Eccles St...
13/11/2026
Blackmagic Design has announced the Blackmagic Ambisonic Microphone, a 7th order ambisonic microphone array that captures spatial audio for immersive video prod...
13/11/2026
SMPTE has announced that The Studio B&H and Riedel Communications will provide the video infrastructure and communications technology for the Solutions Hub at t...
13/11/2026
The Hollywood Professional Association (HPA) has announced the theme and program focus for the 2027 HPA Tech Retreat, which takes place Feb. 14-18, 2027, in La ...
13/11/2026
Football Manager 27 Touch is available on Apple Arcade starting today. The game ...
13/11/2026
MotoGP has announced a two-year media rights agreement with ESPN covering the Un...
13/11/2026
Apple Sports, the free iPhone app, has added the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) to its lineup of supported sports, in time for Saturday's UFC 334. The...
13/11/2026
The NBA and Fanatics Studios, the joint venture between Fanatics and entertainme...
13/11/2026
ESPN held its annual EDGE Innovation Conference last night and offered up an ove...
13/11/2026
Regional sports network gives Ithaca College, SUNY Cortland students a platform to thrive
One of the biggest games in Division III college football will be pla...
13/11/2026
Studer-inspired 500-series PWM compressor unveiled
The HLabs range already includes a couple of Studer-inspired offerings in the form of the PRE169 and EQ16...
13/11/2026
Download Now!
To view the white paper, please enter the following details:
--
First Name* First Name
Company*
Country* Please select your countryA...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
13/11/2026
Blue Lucy, the workflow orchestration and integration platform for broadcasters, rights owners and localisation companies, today announced an integration with c...
13/11/2026
Krotos announces Black Friday offers on Studio Pro and Studio Max
Brie Clayton November 12, 2026
0 Comments
First-year annual plans start at US$195.99...
13/11/2026
Blackmagic Design Announces Blackmagic Ambisonic Microphone
Brie Clayton November 12, 2026
0 Comments
New 7th order ambisonic microphone with 108 MEMS...
13/11/2026
Meet the Berklee Student Setting Planetary Motion to Music With his compositional platform SoniKosmos, Javier Roqueni aims to make the universe the ultimate i...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , er...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , er...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
13/11/2026
Amagi, the media industry cloud company, today announced a partnership with Golden Times Media Technology (stock code 920021.BJ), a Beijing-based media and tech...
13/11/2026
CGI (TSX: GIB.A) (NYSE: GIB), one of the largest independent IT and business consulting services firms in the world, together with its Malaysian partner, Cedar ...
13/11/2026
SMPTE, the home for media professionals, technologists and engineers, today announced that The Studio B&H and Riedel Communications will provide the video infra...
13/11/2026
iWedia, a global leader in connected TV software solutions, will present its software-first approach to DRAM optimization at Android TV APAC Summit 2026 in Bang...
13/11/2026
Beginning today, November 13, Apple HomeView is available for purchase at Apple Store locations, on the Apple Store online, and in the Apple Store app in select...
13/11/2026
From pediatric research to smart hospitals, AI is helping care teams spend less time on routine tasks and more time with patients.
Health systems and startups...
12/11/2026
Industry leaders examine how Dynamic Media Facility, Media eXchange Layer, and c...
12/11/2026
The junior Tar Heel is embracing the technical and creative challenges of live production while emerging as a leader and mentor in the control room...
12/11/2026
Gracenote, Nielsen's content intelligence business, has released its fifth a...
American Family Insurance T'd Up Invitational on Twitch Offers Celebrities, Simulated Golf VISTA Worldlink, Group 33 allow virtual matches be played around the country By Kristian Hernandez, Associate Editor 
