The BBC lose coverage of The Open

[Jeff Johnston]

http://www.newstalk.com/player/shows/Off_The_Ball/78105/bbc_commentator_peter_alliss_on_his_career_and_future

In the course of an excellent interview on Irish radio last night (link above), Peter Alliss indicated that the 2015 Open may be his last at the mic - he hasn't decded yet, but sees an attaraction in bowing out at St Andrews (which is fair enough). Of course, Sky may yet make him an offer he can't refuse, but from his chat last night it seems unlikely.....

[Ally Mcintosh]

Slighty O/T but still on the sport/financial side.

BT and SKY have together bid for the next 5 years of the premier league matches:

Each Premier League Football Match is average at £10,000,000.

So each Premier League Match equals the cost of the OPEN GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP.

"Money it will ruin sport" O.B. KELLYER 1930

Total cost of £5.13 billion. This equals half the entire annual budget for the Home Office.

Obscene.

[Sean_A]

Ally

£1 billion a year...small beer.  The NFL rakes on over $4 billion a year for tv rights.

Ciao

[Niall C]

One of the benefits of the Open going to Sky is that it will hopefully hasten the end to the career of Peter Alliss. Whether you like his style or not, there's no doubt he's well by his sell by date. Sorry, IMO he's well by his sell by date. Never forgiven him for rudely telling me to beat it when I was a wee boy and asking for his autograph.

Niall

[Duncan Cheslett]

Never forgiven him for rudely telling me to beat it when I was a wee boy and asking for his autograph.

Niall

I know exactly what you mean, Niall. I was similarly rebuffed by a very well-known Manchester United footballer in the late 1960s and he has been on my death list ever since!

I like Alliss though, and the interview linked to above shows that he is still in good form. I don't suppose you can bear to listen to it though!

[Ally Mcintosh]

Ally

£1 billion a year...small beer.  The NFL rakes on over $4 billion a year for tv rights.

Ciao

The US has 5 times as many citizens. Plus we all know the US jumped the shark long ago with killing sport past the point of no return.

Sport isn't sport when money plays such a big part.

[Scott Whitley]

Even the National Hockey League recently signed a $5.2 billion deal (over 12 years) for its broadcast rights in little old Canada.

[Mark Chaplin]

The BBC has paid a fortune for MOTD, I guess they couldn't afford golf and football, the timings make to look like they could be linked.

[Niall C]

How much are the BBC paying Gary Lineker ? Give him the bump and they are half way there.

Niall

[Duncan Cheslett]

But MOTD is a highlights programme. Highlights of The Open (and other major tournaments) will still be shown on the BBC. I don't see that the respective treatment of golf and football is much different.

[Ally Mcintosh]

Football is killing all other sports though. It's just become silly.

[Duncan Cheslett]

Football has long since ceased to be merely a sport.  It has now almost completely replaced religion as the opium of working class males, just as celebrity culture and reality TV  have for their female counterparts.

[Jon Wiggett]

Football has long since ceased to be merely a sport.  It has now almost completely replaced religion as the opium of working class males, just as celebrity culture and reality TV  have for their female counterparts.

Except that the working man will probably not be able to afford the Sky subs when they go up next time to pay for this new deal.

[Brian_Ewen]

http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/golf/bbc-loses-womens-open-to-sky.118330664#

BBC loses Women's Open to Sky
Nick Rodger
Golf Correspondent
Thursday 12 February 2015
The BBC's dwindling portfolio of live, televised golf is set to be diminished further after it emerged last night that the Ricoh Women's British Open will also move to Sky in two years' time.

Hard on the heels of the Royal & Ancient's announcement that the Open Championship, which has been broadcast on the BBC for the best part of 60 years, will be screened by Sky from 2017, the Ladies' Golf Union (LGU) confirmed that it has agreed a similar deal with the satellite broadcaster for its own showpiece event.

In an agreement that mirrors the arrangement of the men's Open, the LGU and its partner, IMG, has signed a five-year contract from 2017 to 2021 with Sky providing live coverage of all four days of the championship. The BBC, meanwhile, will show a daily highlights package although it will be a one hour slot instead of the two hour production that has been agreed for the men's event.

A statement from the LGU was brief and to the point. It said: "The Ladies Golf Union and IMG can confirm a new five-year broadcast agreement for the Ricoh Women's British Open with the UK's two largest sports broadcasters, Sky and the BBC, running from 2017 - 2021, in an arrangement similar to that announced last week by the R&A for the Open Championship."

The latest migration of a live, free-to-air event from the BBC to Sky will no doubt be greeted with further despair from the UK golfing public. When this agreement comes into force in 2017, it means the final two days of the Masters will be the only live golf shown on the BBC. Not so long ago, the Beeb's golfing output totalled 24 days with events like the BMW PGA Championship and the Scottish Open also being shown live. Those championships are now broadcast by Sky. The two days of live coverage of the Masters should at least remain on the BBC for the foreseeable future after the corporation signed a "multi-year" deal with the officials at Augusta in 2014.

At a press conference on Tuesday, Peter Dawson, the chief executive of the Royal & Ancient, claimed that the BBC negotiators had made it clear to him during the bidding process for the Open rights that showing highlights of the championship was their preferred option. Against the financial clout of Sky, it seems the BBC has opted for the 'cheaper' option again with the women's event. This season's Ricoh Women's British Open will take place at Turnberry in July.

[Duncan Cheslett]

Football has long since ceased to be merely a sport.  It has now almost completely replaced religion as the opium of working class males, just as celebrity culture and reality TV  have for their female counterparts.

Except that the working man will probably not be able to afford the Sky subs when they go up next time to pay for this new deal.

Unfortunately, just like with opium, the addict will always find a way...

[Ed Tilley]

Looks like no more live coverage of the Open on BBC. They've brought forward the switch to Sky to 2016 from 2017.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/golf/34399912

[Greg Taylor]

Looks like no more live coverage of the Open on BBC. They've brought forward the switch to Sky to 2016 from 2017.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/golf/34399912

Yes, I'd heard about this... BBC can't afford/doesn't want to pay for next year so they have sold it to Sky.


Not sure if's worthy of any further discussion this one has been flogged to death on this site!

[Jon Wiggett]

Football has long since ceased to be merely a sport.  It has now almost completely replaced religion as the opium of working class males, just as celebrity culture and reality TV  have for their female counterparts.

Except that the working man will probably not be able to afford the Sky subs when they go up next time to pay for this new deal.

Unfortunately, just like with opium, the addict will always find a way...

I agree Duncan, the problem been that another important way of promoting golf to new audiences and therefore potential customers has now gone. Not that anyone involved in this sorry story was interested in growing the game.

Jon

[Niall C]

Nonsense

[Jon Wiggett]

Nonsense

?

[Niall C]

Jon

I was referring to your comment about no one involved interested in growing the game. For one thing Sky have spent a shed load of money on top of what they have already paid for European and US Tour golf so clearly as a commercial operator they are hell bent on increasing their coverage and "growing the game". I'd suggest the R&A have taken the same view after years of the BBC paying lip service with their once a year golf coverage hosted by a former footballer.

Anyway more money for the R&A to invest in various programmes which they seem to do well.

Niall

[Jon Wiggett]

Niall,

how many non-golfers are going to buy the Sky package in order to watch golf? I recon about zero. The R&A and SGU are on record as saying that there are too many golf facilities in Scotland so is that in keeping with a genuine belief that they can grow the game?

You are right that Sky are hell bent on increasing their subscription base but are wrong in conflating this with growing the game. I agree with the BBC and lip service but can you give an example of any program from the R&A in the UK that has led to an overall increase in participation as I cannot.

Jon

Jon

[Niall C]

Jon


In fairness how many R&A programmes can you name ? I suspect about the same amount as me  . I recall looking at their accounts when the whole saga about the TOC changes reared its head and while I can't recall any specific programmes I recall that I was surprised about how much they were plowing back into the game on an annual basis, admittedly not all in the UK.


With regards to the comment that the R&A have said there is too many golf facilities in this country, I have not read that but prepared to believe it. That doesn't mean they are not trying to grow the game rather it's probably a fair summation of the current state of play. Probably a better way of putting it is that there aren't enough golfers to support the current level of facilities. Now to redress the balance you either increase the amount of participants or you do nothing and wait for market forces to take care of the over supply of facilities. I suspect that they are trying for the former.


Niall

[Mark_Rowlinson]

Having watched the rugby on ITV this weekend and golf on Sky over the years, I'm sorry the BBC is losing the golf - none of those ghastly, repetitive adverts and that tasteless rugby jingle. Foul!

[Jon Wiggett]

Niall,

you are correct that I cannot name an R&A program aimed at growing the game in the UK which is kind of my point. I think they are doing a great job on their 'Sustainable Golf' program but suspect some of the others are devised to keep people in work.

I think the money now coming their way and poor leadership (I will not be sad to see the back of Mr. Dawson) has led the R&A to the misguided position of believing the game is there to serve their needs and not the other way round. For me any governing body who believes it is not in the interests of their game to grow it should hand the baton on to those who do.

Hopefully the next man in charge will be more less bluster and more substance.

Jon