Breakfast at Bethpage

ABOUT THIS ENTRY

The Ryder Cup is golf’s most electric stage—yet until 2025, it never had a pregame show that matched the energy of fans flooding the first tee at dawn. Breakfast at Bethpage changed that. Produced by Peyton Manning’s Omaha Productions in partnership with PGA of America, Pro Shop Studios, and powered by T-Mobile, the show reimagined what the golf fan experience and live coverage could look like. It delivered an entirely new and dynamic alt-cast format, blending sports commentary, comedy, celebrity drop-ins, and real-time fan interaction.

Anchored by Colin Jost and featuring comedians, digital creators, and celebrity golf superfans, the broadcast brought viewers directly into the raucous atmosphere at Bethpage Black. Roaming correspondents Hannah Berner and Marcello Hernandez captured spontaneous moments from the grandstands. The result was a first-of-its-kind live golf experience that ushered in a new generation of digitally savvy fans through culturally fluent talent and an internet-native broadcast style.

How does this represent "Excellence in Engagement"?

Breakfast at Bethpage represents excellence in engagement because it transformed passive viewership into active participation. Rather than treating fans as spectators waiting for tee times, the show placed them at the center of the story. Live correspondents embedded in the grandstands captured real-time crowd reactions, interviews, and fan competitions, reflecting the authentic energy that makes the Ryder Cup unique. Viewers were encouraged to engage through social polls, hashtag challenges, comment callouts, and interactive segments, with opportunities to see their contributions featured live. This created a feedback loop between broadcast and audience, blurring the line between content and community.

The involvement of culturally fluent talent—including comedians and celebrity superfans—lowered the barrier to entry for new viewers, making the sport feel approachable without diminishing its competitive intensity. Humor, spontaneity, and meme-ready moments ensured the show traveled organically across platforms, extending engagement far beyond the livestream window and setting a new benchmark for how sporting events can engage modern audiences.

Objective

The objective behind Breakfast at Bethpage was to elevate live golf coverage into something as electric and unpredictable as the Ryder Cup itself. While the tournament is known for its intensity and national pride, its pregame programming has historically leaned technical and insider-focused. This show set out to create a format that preserved the competition’s prestige while making it more culturally accessible and digitally engaging.

Specifically, the goal was to design a live broadcast that could welcome younger viewers and casual sports fans—audiences accustomed to interactive, personality-driven programming—without alienating golf purists. By placing comedic talent and celebrity guests at the heart of the coverage, the show aimed to humanize the sport, spotlight fan energy, and create an entry point that felt inclusive. Equally important was leveraging live video to its fullest potential. Instead of simply previewing matchups, Breakfast at Bethpage immersed viewers in the atmosphere at the first tee, capturing crowd reactions, spontaneous moments, and behind-the-scenes access in real time. The ambition was not just to report on the Ryder Cup, but to make fans feel like they were already there.

Strategy & Execution

The strategy was to introduce an entirely new broadcast model to the world of golf: one that fused the credibility of sports desk coverage with the looseness of late-night comedy and the immediacy of digital streaming. Anchoring the show at the first tee positioned the action at the center of the narrative, while roaming correspondents powered by T-Mobile’s 5G technology moved throughout the course to capture fan reactions and unexpected moments.

Colin Jost led the three-morning broadcast live at 6:00 a.m., balancing irreverent humor with genuine enthusiasm for the sport. Celebrity guests including Bobby Flay, Christopher McDonald, Nate Bargatze, Michael Phelps, and Niall Horan joined panels to react to tee shots and share personal stories about golf. Hannah Berner and Marcello Hernandez engaged fans from the stands to the course through interviews, games, and challenges, ensuring the energy of the crowd was always part of the show.

Visually, the production merged traditional sports camerawork with variety-show elements—pop-up graphics, playful on-screen edits, and meme-ready moments that extended beyond the livestream. Distributed across multiple digital platforms, the show was designed to meet audiences where they already consume live video.

Organizations

• PGA of America
  Pro Shop Studios
  T-Mobile
  Omaha Productions

Links

•   Website

Credits

Jeff Price
Executive Producer
PGA pf America

Rob Smith
Executive Producer
PGA of America

Kristen Herlihy
Executive Producer
Omaha Productions

Emily Hason
Executive Producer
Saturday Night Live

Colin Jost
Executive Producer
Saturday Night Live