The R&A has confirmed that is has awarded rights to live TV coverage of the Open Championship to Sky from 2017-21.
The new deal, worth a reported £10 million a year to the R&A, brings an end to a 60-year relationship with the BBC, who will now be left to show a two-hour highlights package of each day of the championship from 8pm-10pm in the evenings, although live radio coverage will still be available on Radio 5.
Golf fans who do not subscribe to Sky Sports will be able to watch live coverage of The Open for a fee through NOW TV, which offers weekly and daily subscriptions, with no long-term contract required.
The new broadcasting arrangement comes into play at the 146th Open Championship at Royal Birkdale from 16 – 23 July 2017, and under the terms of the agreement, the number of ad breaks during live coverage will be kept to a maximum of four minutes per hour, with each break running for nor more than 60 seconds.
The R&A has pledged to provide significantly increased financial support to golf participation initiatives in the UK and Ireland as a result of the cash boost to its reserves. The R&A is also to undertake a comprehensive review of golf participation and will ensure that golf feels the full benefit of the enhanced resources available.
Peter Dawson, Chief Executive of The R&A, said, “We believe this is the best result for The Open and for golf. The way people consume live sport is changing significantly and this new agreement ensures fans have a range of options for enjoying the Championship on television, on radio and through digital channels. Sky Sports has an excellent track record in covering golf across its platforms and has become the home of live golf coverage over recent years. We are very much looking forward to working with them to develop and enhance the coverage of The Open.
“We have enjoyed a long and successful relationship with the BBC and, although the nature of that relationship is changing from 2017, we are delighted that the BBC will broadcast prime-time highlights and that the Championship will continue to benefit from extensive live coverage on Radio 5 Live and online.”
Sky Sports provides live coverage of all four days of the Masters tournament, the US Open and the PGA Championship and broadcasts the Ryder Cup in the UK. It also holds the exclusive rights to cover the European Tour, PGA Tour, Ladies European Tour and LPGA Tour in the UK and Ireland.
Barney Francis, Sky Sports Managing Director, said: “The Open is the world’s preeminent golf championship and we are committed to taking coverage of the event to new levels. We offer something for every sports fan and this exciting agreement for The Open means our customers can now enjoy all four Majors live. Sky Sports has a passion for golf that has spanned two decades, offering unrivalled commitment, airtime and promotion as well as year-round innovative coverage. We look forward to working with The R&A to entertain and engage new and existing golf fans through our innovative multi-platform coverage and also at the grassroots level via Sky Academy.”
Barbara Slater, Director of Sport at the BBC, said, “We’re obviously disappointed that we were unable to retain live TV coverage of The Open Championship. However, we’re pleased to be continuing our 60-year partnership with The R&A and feel that a comprehensive two-hour highlights programme – a format which has already proven successful – in a prime-time slot over four days will allow us to continue to bring all the best action and key moments from The Open to a large free-toair audience on TV, radio and online.”