Case Study: Live Drone Work for the T-Mobile 5G Range Show at the 2024 PGA Championship

At the 2024 PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky, Air Views Media flew live broadcast drone work for the T-Mobile 5G Range Show. The T-Mobile-sponsored show was new for 2024: live pre-championship coverage from the practice range, streamed on the PGA Championships app and PGA of America channels.

The T-Mobile 5G Range Show was new for 2024. The PGA of America announced it as live pre-championship coverage on the Wednesday of championship week, streamed on the PGA Championships app and the PGA of America's digital and social channels. It used T-Mobile's private 5G network and 5G POV cameras to bring fans close to players' warm-up sessions on the range, with PGA of America coaches and commentators analyzing the action and hosts working from the PGA of America's home in Frisco, Texas.

Aerials on a live golf show

A practice range is long, open and busy, with players hitting balls on a schedule. From the ground it reads as a row of bays; from the air it shows the scale of a major championship week. On a range, the drone stays out of ball flight and away from players' sightlines, on paths agreed with the producers and the tournament.

Golf crowds add another layer. Where a flight path crosses spectators, our FAA Part 107.39 waiver for operations over people applies when the operation qualifies, and every flight is planned to meet its conditions.

Fitting into a live production

On a live show the drone is one more camera, not a separate package. It has to arrive as a clean source the director can take at any moment, on the same cues as everything else.

For broadcast work, our setup is a COFDM transmitter on a micro FPV drone carrying a PROTON 4K FLEX camera, so the truck can control iris, color and exposure through Cyanview like any other camera on the show. Feeds are cabled to the truck. We fly as a multi-person team, with over-crowd FPV drones for close passes and cinema drones for the wide shots. See our FPV drone live broadcast setup.

What carries over to your event

Tournaments, sponsors and broadcasters building live shows around a sporting event need aerials that fit the production: approved flight areas, a clean feed and a crew that knows when to hold and when to fly. We bring the same approach to stadiums: inside Truist Park for the Atlanta Braves, with feeds to TV and the video board, and at Davis Wade Stadium for Mississippi State football. Sponsor and launch events are familiar ground too, from the Las Vegas Grand Prix launch party at Caesars Palace to the FIFA Fan Festival in Atlanta, where our aerials went live to FOX.

FAQ

What was the T-Mobile 5G Range Show?

A T-Mobile-sponsored live pre-championship show at the 2024 PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club. It covered players warming up on the practice range, with analysis from PGA of America coaches and commentators, and streamed on the PGA Championships app and PGA of America channels.

What did Air Views Media do at the 2024 PGA Championship?

We flew live broadcast drone work for the T-Mobile 5G Range Show at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky.

Can drones fly at golf tournaments?

Yes, with the tournament's approval, FAA airspace authorization where the site needs it, and a plan that keeps the aircraft clear of players, ball flight and spectators. Our Part 107.39 waiver covers flight over people when the operation qualifies.

Where is Air Views Media based?

Our headquarters is in Augusta, GA, with a second location in Lynchburg, VA, and we travel to tournaments and events across the US. Liability is $10M standard (optional up to $25M). Call 706-284-8364.

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