BBC loses the Open to Sky - confirmed

Sky Sports to exclusively broadcast The Open live from 2017 after signing five-year deal with R&A.

A good or bad thing?

We would love to know your thoughts...

Terrible decision. Since the Credit Crunch, golf courses, pro shops, golf shops, golf equipment makers have all been bemoaning the fall in golf participation in the U.K. and sitting wondering why there is the decline. So to ensure they make a perceived elitist game, the R&A in their wisdom have agreed to show the last one Golf Major on terrestrial tv on a Pay Per View service. Because this will now appeal to the masses to take up golf !! R&A ... you have sold your soul !!

Here is the statement from the R&A:

http://www.randa.org/en/RandA/News/News/2015/February/Sky-and-BBC-live-coverage.aspx

I agree very much with Brendan. A terrible decision, which will harm golf in the long run. The people who run golf and the Open in particular have done golf and golfers a great disservice!

Here is the statement from the R&A:

http://www.randa.org/en/RandA/News/News/2015/February/Sky-and-BBC-live-coverage.aspx

I have Sky so it won't alter my ability to watch it but I love The Open and The Masters the most because of the BBC coverage. I know Sky have fancier gadgets and have promised very few adverts but the quality of their commentary is nowhere near the BBC. They mention Now TV. Well try explaining how to get that to my 80 year old neighbours who normally watch on BBC. I got into golf watching when stuck on a stranded ferry off the coast of Ireland the year Justin Rose did well as an amateur. I was glued to it and loved the sport ever since. I just don't think people will have the same opportunities to come across golf like I did if it is on a paid subscription service. The R&A have just gone for the quick buck. Well lets hope that money gets filtered to grass roots level as it will be much needed as a route into the sport.

That saying about BBC commentary - I do have to say I am enjoying Nick Dougherty as a Sky commentator. If they get Monty back for the big ones though I think the volume will go down and I will be listening to BBC 5Live - even if the pictures don't match the words!

I think its a bad thing. Too many Ad breaks for one thing, and the casual viwer will miss out and may not 'have a go' as in the past. Our 9hole Muni was always packed after an Open, with people wanting to try to play.

I agree. It's a shame there is no reliable way to measure it but I think we can all see that the instances of someone 'randomly' coming across the coverage and taking an interest will dramatically decrease

I have sky, but I would prefer to watch golf on the BBC when it is on, the commentory is far superior, Sky fills out the coverage by using cheap gimmicks and pointless discussions, and sky go on and on about Tiger even when he plays shit they go on and on, he is not the only golfer playing, and if he is not playing well then I am not interested, David Livingstone couldn't crawl any further up Tigers arse if he tried, Now having said that the problem with the BBC's coverage of the Open, is it is in the day time, great if you don't work, but as I do, I am stuck with an hours highlights at 9pm or sometimes much later, so at least with the Sky coverage I will be able to watch the days play when I get home from work in the evening.

Great comments all round.

General consensus seems to be keeping it on the BBC would be better.

On a separate note it will be interesting to see exactly how much money the R&A will pump back into grassroots golf in Britain as a result of the extra revenue gained.

Feature here worth a read

http://www.golfshake.com/news/view/8332/Time_to_embrace_change.html

I don't tend to watch the "live" coverage of the open (due to family time at weekends because of my working shifts) but also refuse to pay the ridiculous money to have sky sports. I either record the live sessions or watch the highlights but think this has taken golf out of reach of the common man. Sky like to monopolise things and see this as a bad move all round.

Firstly I'd like to state that I do have Sky as an avid golf fan and pretty much only have it for Golf. I may watch 2 other channels apart from Sky Sports 4 - Now I'd like to make a few points.

1. As a golf fan I watch golf all the time. I watch as much European Tour and PGA Tour as I can. If its Monday-Wednesday I will watch Golfing World, European Tour Weekly, Inside the PGA tour, PGA Tour Classics, Shells wonderful world of golf. The BBC are not offering this to golf fans so personally I wont be missing out on anything. As a golf fan I feel the need to have Sky as BBC are really offering sod all.

2. Saying that The RA are 'Selling their soul' to sky is a fairly poor statement in my opinion. For years BBC have shown the Open and for years golf participation levels have been on a decline. So what's wrong with trying something else? (And generating more money)

3. I think a lot of people have overlooked that the most important thing is not introducing people to golf. Its retaining their interest in golf. Go to a Tennis course during Wimbledon and its full, 2 weeks later its empty. Same with Snooker, Same with Darts. Even recently a lot of folk on social media were all of a sudden NFL experts. Participation levels and retention of new golfers is down to the R&A to deal with separately and not, in my opinion, going to differ if The Open is on Sky or BBC.

4. Many people seem to be pointing fingers at the R&A and nobody asking why the BBC hasn't offered the money Sky has? Golf is so far down the BBC's priority list is unreal. Same happened with F1 not too long ago. This was only a matter of time after BBC 'Lost' the Open like they did The BMW PGA also. They simply wont pay the money.

5. I'll be honest I haven't read the R&A statement at this point. But I'm sure they will have some well thought out plans for the extra money raised and will use it wisely. Before jumping all over them I'm happy to hold fire and see what they are going to do with it. I feel comfortable saying that I didn't see a direct effect of what the BBC were doing with the money so why are people EXPECTING this from Sky?

6. Whilst I agree the quality of commentators/Presenters might not be amazing on Sky they have far more at their disposal in order to make a change. I know golf fans that aren't keen on Peter Allis and Ken Brown - Its Horses for courses. I'm sure there would be people quite happy to see those 2 make a switch to Sky (lets face it they have nothing left on the BBC now)

To finish I'm am sitting on the fence with this as it doesn't directly effect me personally. I don't agree with it not being shown on BBC. Just like Wentworth when that happened. But ultimately golf is a sport and these days sports are business so don't believe the R&A can be blamed for their decision.

Not a good idea!

I do not have sky sports, wasn't watching it enough to warrant paying £40 a month.

My only concern is that many years ago I used to enjoy watching darts and snooker on TV.

Then Sky got most of it and I didn't watch it for ages.

The problem was, I had got so used to not watching it that when it came on terrestrial tv I didn't bother watching it!

The same thing happened last year with the Ryder Cup, because I couldn't watch it I wasn't really bothered about it.

I checked the text for the scores but that was it.

With the number of people playing golf falling it beggars belief that the R&A would limit the number of people who can watch the Open on TV.

Again, the money Sky are paying to show the Open is attractive to the R&A but what are they going to do with it?

I very much doubt that the rank and file golfers will see any of it!

Russ

Hi all,

Some strong opinions from the writers in on this. Worth reading some of the comments on the bottom of the articles as well:

Derek Clements - The Dawson Legacy > http://www.golfshake.com/news/view/8340/The_Dawson_Legacy.html

Adam Smith - Time to embrace change > http://www.golfshake.com/news/view/8332/Time_to_embrace_change.html

Nick Bonfield - The Open’s Move to SKY: Why the R&A Made the Right Decision > http://www.golfshake.com/news/view/8353/The_Openus_Move_to_SKY_Why_the_RA_Made_the_Right_Decision.html