Golf fans looking to watch live coverage of The Open Championship and the Women’s Open, along with a variety of other events staged by the R&A, will have to continue to pay out for a Sky Sports Golf package after the satellite channel extended its TV licensing deal with the R&A for the next five years.
The announcement continues a partnership which started in 2016 when The R&A’s professional and amateur championships first featured as part of Sky Sports’ coverage of live golf, which includes the men’s and women’s major championships and tour events from around the world.
Proceeds from the agreement will contribute towards The R&A’s commitment to invest £200 million in golf over ten years and support development of the sport internationally through its participation initiatives, governance activities, advocacy for sustainability and staging of inspirational golf championships.
Martin Slumbers, CEO of The R&A, said, “Our partnership with Sky Sports has enabled us to deliver outstanding live coverage of our championships to fans, as well as providing important revenues which support our broader activities to develop golf around the world and sustain the sport for current and future generations.
“The live broadcast continues to push boundaries and use technology to give viewers a deeper understanding and appreciation of the skill required by the world’s best players and presents the drama and excitement of our championships in a dynamic and entertaining way. We look forward to continuing our work with Sky Sports over the next five years.”
Jonathan Licht, Managing Director, Sky Sports, said, “We are delighted to be able to extend our relationship with The R&A, as Sky Sports continues to be the home for the biggest golf tournaments in the world, including all the Majors this year. The Open and the AIG Women’s Open are two iconic championships and centre-pieces of any sporting summer for fans. We look forward to continuing to offer our award-winning coverage across our Sky Sports platforms.”
WHAT GOLF EVENTS DOES THE R&A STAGE?
The agreement will see Sky Sports continue to provide coverage of The Open, AIG Women’s Open and The R&A’s amateur championships and international matches, including The Amateur Championship, The Women’s Amateur Championship, Walker Cup and Curtis Cup.
Sky Sports customers can watch live coverage in HD, and follow their favourite players and emerging stories via Sky Sports social and digital channels. On NOW, viewers can watch live sport without a contract, making The Open and AIG Women’s Open accessible to anyone with a connected device. With a Sky Sports Month or Day Pass, NOW members can watch any time, anywhere on the web or on over 60 devices with the mobile or tablet app.