As Live from the Ryder Cup settles in for a nice long run through 2030 on the Golf Channel, the broadcast unveiled new theme music and sonic branding to serve as the soundtrack to the highly charged event.

Stephen Arnold Music created three new music variations for the first-even live coverage of the Ryder Cup: American, European, and a catch-all main theme. Each theme can be cut, edited, and mixed as needed depending on whether there is an American or a European player on screen.

The Ryder Cup pits teams of American and European golfers against each other in a once-every-two-years tournament.

Players from the Dallas and Fort Worth World Symphonies worked with Stephen Arnold Music to record the themes.

The American theme features pastoral touches such as acoustic guitar, while the European theme includes classical Renaissance and Celtic elements. Stephen Arnold Music says that the main theme “provides an even bigger feel, optimal for aerial visuals coming in and out of commercial breaks.”

Last year NBC Sports announced that it was extending its deal with the PGA to broadcast the Ryder Cup and other marquis golf events through 2030, the longest broadcast pact in pro sports.

“Golf is a world game – it symbolizes history and sophistication, with a distinct beauty to where and how it’s played,” said Chad Cook, vice president, creative, at Stephen Arnold Music. “The new music for Golf Channel needed to not only translate all those attributes, but give their ‘Live from the Ryder Cup’ coverage an identity. This is two continents competing head-to-head, so the sonic brand had to be iconic.”

Stephen Arnold Music has worked with several other sports networks in the past, including ESPN, ESPNU, CBS Sports, CNN World Sport, GSP Sports Romania, and World Fishing Network.

“This assignment for Live from the Ryder Cup was particularly challenging: The music had to capture the spirit of a team event that happens every two years, while reflecting a diverse heritage that is equal parts American and European, ” said David Piccolo, The Golf Channel’s VP and creative director. “Getting the music right for this new era in Ryder Cup coverage was essential – it helps brand the whole experience and connect with the viewer. As usual, Stephen Arnold Music over-delivered. They gave us more than we could have imagined.”

NBC Sports has held the broadcast rights to the Ryder Cup since 1991.

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