New York, NY. After losing the telecast rights for United States Golf Association (USGA) events in late 2013—the most significant being the Men’s Open—NBC Sports rebounded in a big time way with the announcement this week of a major television deal with the Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews (R&A). The deal—12 years in length and worth a reported $50 million—represents a critical acquisition for NBC Sports and Golf Channel.
Starting in 2017, when The Open is played at Royal Birkdale in Southport, England, and lasting through 2028, NBC Sports becomes the sole broadcast vehicle for coverage in the United States highlighted by securing the game’s oldest major event—The Open Championship. The deal also includes coverage of The Senior Open, The Women’s British Open, Walker and Curtis Cups when hosted in the UK / Ireland and Amateur Championship.
NBC Sports lost the opportunity to renew with the USGA—a relationship that commenced in 1995—and the impact was a major blow to the momentum the network had built in expanding its presence in golf. In 1991, NBC Sports started its involvement in telecasting Ryder Cup Matches and the hype associated with the bi-annual matches has been a major plus for the network’s standing in the sport. In late 2013 an extension was announced commencing in 2015 and going through 2030.
A quick overview of the impact of the new deal provides the following conclusions:
