PGA Championship: T-Mobile's 5G Advanced Network Powers Wireless Cameras on Back Nine and AI-Generated Mixed-Reality Graphics Features include AI-enabled immersive broadcast, real-time fan moments, smarter operations By Jason Dachman, Editorial Director, U.S. Wednesday, May 14, 2025 - 9:00 am
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T-Mobile's 5G Advanced network will power multiple next-gen experiences both on and off the course at this week's PGA Championship at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, NC. PGA of America will use technology from T-Mobile 5G Advanced Network Solutions (ANS) - for example, network slicing and T-Mobile 5G on Demand, a 5G portable private network - to give fans, broadcasters, and staff new ways to experience the tournament through industry-first 5G innovations.
Immersive, Mixed-Reality Broadcast and Real-time Connection to Every Shot CBS Sports and ESPN will debut T5G on 14, a broadcast feature combining augmented reality with AI-generated data into an immersive virtual-map visualization of hole performance, club speed, and swing analysis of each shot from the 14th tee. 5G on Demand will help deliver full-HDR footage that brings fans closer to the game in a new and dynamic way.
In another first for the PGA Championship, every shot will be analyzed in real time using artificial intelligence, and notifications will be delivered as a Roar Moment video highlight. Any fan with the PGA Champs mobile app will get these notifications of the toughest or most significant shots during the tournament.
The PGA Championship is a true demonstration of the ways 5G can impact every aspect of a major event. From helping to power the immersive features of the at-home broadcast to the onsite thrill of a Roar Moment, T-Mobile 5G is connecting fans to the game like never before, says Callie Field, president, T-Mobile Business Group. It's especially exciting to see T-Mobile's robust portfolio of 5G solutions continually enhance operations at marquee events like this and deliver amazing experiences for fans.
Bringing Golf to Life Through Broadcast For the first time ever, a 5G private network will connect wireless cameras on the back nine of a major golf championship. CBS Sports and ESPN will use T-Mobile's 5G on Demand to help enable multiple wireless cameras to bring viewers full-HDR footage from the back nine, including the famous Green Mile. T- Mobile 5G brings a new era of flexibility and mobility for broadcasters.
T-Mobile's ultra-fast, low-latency connectivity will help power the broadcast debut of T5G on 14. For the first time ever, an immersive virtual map will overlay performance data processed in near real time to give fans analytics like each player's performance on the hole and shot data like club speed. The AI-enabled production features, combined with real-time AR visuals, will give fans new insights into the action.
T-Mobile's 5G Advanced network and its remote-video- production capabilities will also enhance fan content for PGA of America's owned and operated digital channels. The network will connect multiple cameras deployed for on-course walk-and-talk interviews offering a glimpse into the pros' perspectives as they head into a major championship; dynamic live look-ins from the T5G Range at Quail Hollow that will feature live coaching insights from PGA coaches at PGA Frisco; and even a live segment from the T5G Range on Wednesday of the PGA Championship.
The compelling content offerings, branded Champ Connections powered by T- Mobile, will be seamlessly integrated into the PGA Championships App, PGA of America's YouTube channels, and other social-media platforms, allowing fans to follow the action whenever and however they want.
Connecting Fan Experiences, Unlocking Operational Efficiencies With 5G T-Mobile and PGA of America are turning the PGA Championships app into a smart course companion, delivering real-time insights about nearby players, concessions, and navigation tools. For the first time at one of golf's majors, the app will deliver Roar Moment notifications so that fans never miss a moment, whether they're watching on or off the course. Roar Moment alerts use AI to analyze and rank every shot shown in broadcast and dynamically deliver video highlights in near real time.
The high-speed, low-latency connectivity enables fans to move swiftly through entry points and concessions, and photojournalists will benefit from rapid, reliable upload speeds to share high-resolution images and major moments with newsrooms and audiences in near real time. On the ground, that means faster lines and quicker content for everyone.
Golf presents unique connectivity challenges because of factors like crowd size, traffic flow, and the complex, vast layout of a course. But T-Mobile 5G simplifies it, giving event staff and fans leveled-up connectivity across the 250-acre course while also boosting coverage across the greater Charlotte area.
PGA of America will use network slicing to seamlessly connect all onsite point-of-sale and ticket-scanning systems. With network slicing, event operators have dedicated capacity and the flexibility to process payments or scan tickets without deploying cumbersome hard-wired connections. Event staff will also use a dedicated push-to-talk system to ensure effective communication with team members across the course and offsite to manage any situation or potential emergency in real time.
T-Mobile 5G will also power an AI-enabled autonomous robotic ball picker that deploys sensors and cameras to navigate the T5G Range to automate golf-ball collection and keep the range clear as golfers warm up and practice their shots.
Our partnership with T-Mobile has opened the door to what is possible to connect fans to the game of golf, says Jeff Price, chief commercial o
