April 17, 2017
PGA TOUR, THE PLAYERS bring Nickelodeon
and new, family-friendly tournament activities
to McKenzie Noelle Wilson Foundation Kid Zone
Nickelodeon will air coverage of THE PLAYERS Championship
in “NickSports Presents Golf Rocks Weekend,” featuring the cast of School of Rock,
May 12-14 on Nicktoons
Breanna Yde (from left), Peter Malnati, Aidan Miner, Sydnee Michaels, Jade Pettyjohn, Mackenzie Hughes, Lance Lim and Demi Runas at the PGA Slime Stunt at Braemar Country Club, in Tarzana, Calif., in 2016. Nickelodeon will be airing golf-themed programming May 12-14 with “NickSports Presents Golf Rocks Weekend” in connection with The Players Championship. (Photo by Charley Galley/Getty Images for Nickelodeon.)
Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida – Families have one more reason to attend THE PLAYERS Championship this year, as tournament officials and Nickelodeon announced today a plan to bring new, family-friendly tournament activities to the McKenzie Noelle Wilson Foundation Kid Zone. The Kid Zone is just one of many fun activities for families at the tournament, which returns to THE PLAYERS Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass May 9-14.
“THE PLAYERS is committed to making the tournament a shrine to golf fans, and Nickelodeon is an ideal addition to the McKenzie Noelle Wilson Foundation Kid Zone as a leader in entertainment for kids worldwide,” said Jared Rice, executive director of THE PLAYERS Championship. “We’re excited to offer even more fun activities during tournament week for kids, and kids at heart.”
New in 2017, The McKenzie Noelle Wilson Foundation Kid Zone will have an enclosed, air-conditioned area featuring the Nickelodeon experience, an interactive destination for kids and families attending THE PLAYERS. Fans will be able to show off their skills at the SpongeBob SquarePants mini-golf challenge and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Puttskee, get virtually slimed, meet SpongeBob and more.
A rendering of Nickelodeon’s family-friendly enclosed, air-conditioned activities area. It will be a new addition to to The Kid Zone at The Players Championship at the Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass May 9-14.
Nickelodeon will also bring kids at home into the action with new, golf-themed content and exclusive coverage of the on-the-ground events leading up to THE PLAYERS in the “NickSports Presents Golf Rocks Weekend” Friday, May 12, through Sunday, May 14, on Nicktoons. Hosted by avid golfer and Nick star Breanna Yde (School of Rock), “NickSports Presents Golf Rocks Weekend” will present interstitials offering a behind-the-scenes look at the tournament, highlights from Nickelodeon’s Kid Zone activation, interviews with PGA TOUR players and more. On Sunday, May 14, the cast of Nickelodeon’s School of Rock (Breanna Yde, Aidan Miner, Jade Pettyjohn, Lance Lim) and PGA TOUR and LPGA players (Peter Malnati, Sydnee Michaels, Mackenzie Hughes, Demi Runas) will compete in the Mega Golf Challenge that was filmed at the Genesis Open, a series of slime-filled, golf-themed interstitials hosted by School of Rock’s Tony Cavalero and Ricardo Hurtado, airing 11 a.m.–1 p.m. (ET/PT) on Nicktoons.
“Our partnership with the PGA TOUR at THE PLAYERS Championship builds on our commitment to bring Nickelodeon to signature sporting events around the country and deliver content that is relevant and authentic to kids today,” said Keith Dawkins, executive vice president, TeenNick and Nicktoons. “Through our unique, on-the-ground experiences and exclusive on-air coverage, we will take THE PLAYERS and its Kid Zone to another level of fun, while providing our NickSports audience with an all-access pass to the world of golf.”
Fans are reminded that youth 18 years and younger are admitted to THE PLAYERS free of charge when accompanied by a ticketed adult, and there is no limit to the number of youth fans admitted with that ticketed adult. Youth admission makes THE PLAYERS the perfect destination for families, who only need to pay the cost of the tickets for the adults, or even a youth sports team, as the entire team can gain admission with one ticketed adult.
The Family Plan package offers additional savings and benefits for families seeking a day at THE PLAYERS. Families get two adult Stadium Passes, unlimited youth admission at the gate and two $10 concession vouchers. The Family Plan is $120 for Thursday and Sunday, $130 for Friday and $140 for Saturday (taxes not included). Parking passes are additional, but remember that any car with four or more passengers parks for free under THE PLAYERS “Four for Free” policy (download vouchers at https://theplayersparking.clickandpark.com).
The Family Plan is offered at 27 participating Daily’s convenience stores and at THEPLAYERSChampionship.com.
As the tournament approaches, more information about THE PLAYERS is available at THEPLAYERSChampionship.com. THE PLAYERS is set to return to THE PLAYERS Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass, May 9-14, 2017.
Nickelodeon, now in its 38th year, is the number-one entertainment brand for kids. It has built a diverse, global business by putting kids first in everything it does. The company includes television programming and production in the United States and around the world, plus consumer products, online, recreation, books and feature films. Nickelodeon’s U.S. television network is seen in more than 90 million households and has been the number-one-rated kids’ basic cable network for 22 consecutive years. For more information or artwork, visit http://www.nickpress.com. Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB).
About THE PLAYERS Championship
THE PLAYERS Championship annually combines the best field in golf with the world-class venue that is THE PLAYERS Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass. Morgan Stanley, PwC and Optum are the exclusive Proud Partners of THE PLAYERS. Proceeds from THE PLAYERS benefit Northeast Florida charities and have totaled more than $84 million since the event moved to Ponte Vedra Beach in 1977, including a record $8.5 million generated in 2016. In April 2011, THE PLAYERS announced a new charitable focus, committing to generate $50 million for youth-related charities over 10 years. For more on THE PLAYERS and the surrounding area, visit THEPLAYERSChampionship.com or floridashistoriccoast.com.
About Morgan Stanley
Morgan Stanley is a leading global financial services firm providing a wide range of investment banking, securities, wealth management and investment management services. With offices in more than 43 countries, the Firm's employees serve clients worldwide including corporations, governments, institutions and individuals. For further information about Morgan Stanley, please visit www.morganstanley.com.
About PwC
PwC US helps organizations and individuals create the value they’re looking for. We’re a member of the PwC network of firms in 157 countries with more than 208,000 people. We’re committed to delivering quality in assurance, tax and advisory services. Tell us what matters to you and find out more by visiting us at www.pwc.com/US.
Our firm has a long-standing history of delivering exceptional services to our clients and providing an incomparable professional experience for our people. At PwC our Purpose is to build trust in society and solve important problems. Corporate responsibility is a key element of our Purpose. It’s important that we play a role in constructing and delivering solutions to the immense challenges faced by society.
About Optum
Optum is a leading information and technology-enabled health services business dedicated to helping make the health system work better for everyone. With more than 100,000 people worldwide, Optum delivers intelligent, integrated solutions that help to modernize the health system and improve overall population health. Optum is part of UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH). For more information, visit www.Optum.com.
Also, from jacksonville.com:
The Players Championship, Nickelodeon unite to add fun to The Kid Zone
The Players Championship hopes to boost its appeal to kids this year with the help of Nickelodeon, a viewing magnet for young audiences.
The Kid Zone will feature an enclosed, air-conditioned area with golf-inspired activities tied to some popular Nickelodeon characters, tournament officials said.
The 5,000-square-foot space will include the SpongeBob SquarePants mini-golf challenge and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Puttskee – a combination of putt-putt and skee ball – as well as the chance to sling virtual slime. There will also be photo opportunities with SpongeBob .
Nickelodeon is also planning to air several days of golf-themed programming on Nicktoons during the final days of the tournament. “Nick Sports Presents Golf Rocks Weekend,” scheduled from Friday, May 12, to Sunday May, 14, will include a behind-the-scenes look at The Players Championship, interviews with PGA Tour players, and more. The shows will be hosted by Breanna Yde, an avid golfer and one of the stars of Nickelodeon’s “School of Rock.”
This is the first time Nickeldeon is bringing onsite activities to the PGA Tour, said Keith Dawkins, executive vice president of TeenNick and Nicktoons, which includes the Nick Sports programming block.
“We’ve created a variety of on-the-ground experiences in other (major) sports venues,” he said in a telephone interview from New York. “We’re really excited about bringing Nickelodeon to The Players Championship.”
The Players “jumped at the opportunity to bring one of the most well-known youth brands to the Kid Zone and just lift the whole thing up,” said Jared Rice, executive director of The Players Championship.
The fact that Nickelodeon “does these things around the country at top events with some level of frequency” was “all the more reason why we wanted to work with a brand like Nickelodeon,” he said.
Nickelodeon’s presence should enhance the overall tournament experience for young people, Rice said.
“It will be in the same location, there’s no additional fee and it’s open to all fans in attendance,” he said.
The Players’ “commitment to youth goes back for some time,” he said “That includes includes the fact that youth, 18 and under, are admitted free of charge when accompanied by a ticketed adult.
“We want kids to have a great time coming out here, spend some time in the area and also spend some time with their family walking around the grounds and getting a little more connected to The Players Championship.”
Nickelodeon’s “Golf Rocks Weekend” represents its most extensive golf-related programming to date, Dawkins said.
“We’ve done some short-form content things with the PGA Tour,” he said, “but we’ve never done this to this capacity.
“Our research has indicated for a while that sports is a big passion point for our audience,” Dawkins said. “In order for us to be relevant for kids today, sports is one of the ways to stay top in mind with them. … From a content standpoint, it allows Nickelodeon to reach kids in new and interesting ways.”
Dawkins said it was too soon to say whether Nickelodeon was considering returning to The Players Championship next year.
“We haven’t had those discussions,” he said. “We’re firmly in present mode right now.”
The Players Championship takes place May 9-14 at the Players Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach.
The McKenzie Noelle Wilson Foundation Kid Zone is located near the Nicklaus Gate, where most fans enter the course from the main parking lot, and includes face painting, arts and crafts, a bounce house and more.
Parents are required to stay with their children, but there are shaded areas and video screens so parents can keep up with what’s going on out on the course.
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