BBC loses the Open Golf

[heretoday]

From 2017 Sky will broadcast live Open golf. BBC will get two hours of highlights in the evening. I suggest this is a bit of a disaster not just for the Beeb but for golf itself.

It's like losing the test cricket all those years ago.

[NAE NOOKIE]

From 2017 Sky will broadcast live Open golf. BBC will get two hours of highlights in the evening. I suggest this is a bit of a disaster not just for the Beeb but for golf itself.

It's like losing the test cricket all those years ago.

I never watch Golf apart from the last day of the open. It would appear that even being an armchair fan is going to be for the well off who can afford satellite sports channels ..... how long till the Euros and Word Cup go the same way.

[ACLeith]

Been inevitable for a while. BBC threw in the golf towel a few years ago. Their live coverage being limited to one event showed up in the standard of commentator, camerawork and graphics. But, The Open has become one massive corporate jamboree now, so it would always go to the highest bidder.

Their argument that their coverage is continuous doesn't wash with me as it was never intrusive in the Ryder Cup, didn't spoil the drama at all. I do have sympathy for those who only have terrestrial TV, but finally giving Peter Allis the heave-ho must be good - and don't get me started on John Inverdale on 5 Live :shocked:

[HibsMax]

I think it's only a matter of time before we pick and choose what we watch a la carte and the notion of "channels" will disappear. There will still be providers but the idea of tuning into Channel XYZ to watch a show at a certain time is fading. This movement is happening already with cable companies losing customers to Hulu, Netflix, etc. I think this is great for the consumer. Soon I will be able to get rid of my monster cable bill and only pay for shows that I actually watch.

[Golden Bear]

The Open Championship should be available on terrestrial TV but in recent years the Beeb has all but given up on its coverage of live Golf so I'm not at all surprised at the R&A's decision. There has been a big reduction in the numbers playing the game and Golf Clubs are suffering to the extent that they no longer subscribe to Sky TV because of the significant costs. Let's hope that the R&A plough much of the Sky income back into the game at grass roots level in order to try and halt the decline in golf club memberships.

Having said that, I'm sure that Sky will do a brilliant job of covering the Championship and it's good to see that the R&A have insisted that no more than 3 advert breaks are permitted per hour and each break shall be no longer than a minute in duration.