Is the Open going to Sky Sports?

ForeRight

Sky and bbc are locked in battle at the moment over the rights to the open to coverage for 2016 which is up for tender.


Watch this space!

Panrich

Please God no. After the Ryder Cup, I don't think I could take 12 hours of montages and music interspersed with ads every 5 minutes.

Keano

Got any links to that or just something you heard?

Russman

Wow ! It'd be some kick in the nadds if the BEEB lose the Open.
I know Sky do a great job on lots of the events, but the Open, with no ad breaks and on free TV is just great IMO.

Russman

Panrich wrote: »

Please God no. After the Ryder Cup, I don't think I could take 12 hours of montages and music interspersed with ads every 5 minutes.

And Monty talking about the time he.........:D

vienne86

Ah no - where did you hear that? Huge loss for the BBC if it goes.

ForeRight

It's in the telegraph this morning......


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/golf/theopen/11334207/BBC-could-lose-sole-rights-to-the-Open-with-Sky-Sports-battling-for-live-coverage-rights.html

dan_ep82

REaly hope not, don't have Sky Sports so its one of the few I can kick back and watch on the big box

Speak Now

This wont go down well with the British public if there's no terrestrial coverage. The thought of Sky getting their hands on The Open is sickening, I still switch back to the BBC coverage of the Masters at the weekend.

valoren

Just once a year can we not have 4 days of live uninterrupted golf that is free to air and available to the public?

I remember during last year's open my cousin watched it enthusiastically and said he was engrossed for the four days, began to understand the scoring etc. He has never held an interest in the game before.

I'm not so sure he'd pay the sky sub to have to watch it though.

Deep Thought

I don't care who gets it as long as I don't have to listen to Hazell Irvine....

Ruins my enjoyment of watching the golf...

and as for Shane O'Donoghue, the Garth Crooks of Golf

bustercherry

Will be delighted, BBC sports coverage is sickening apart from Match of the Day. The less big events they have the better.

HighLine

Would be a real shame to lose the BBC coverage of The Open. BBC have slashed all their sports coverage over the last few years - golf, formula 1, snooker etc.

The_Architect

If The Open goes to Sky, that is the end of my relationship with following Professional Golf.

If it is being tendered, then that must mean it is off the "Untouchables" list which in turn means it's only a matter of time.

bustercherry

The_Architect wrote: »

If The Open goes to Sky, that is the end of my relationship with following Professional Golf.

If it is being tendered, then that must mean it is off the "Untouchables" list which in turn means it's only a matter of time.

Bit of an overreaction

Kristopherus

I thought the Open was one of the "protected" events in UK?

intellectual dosser

Russman wrote: »

And Monty talking about the time he.........:D

...didnt win The Open.

I'd actually enjoy listening to this for one year.

Dbu

I will have to spend 12 hours a day in the pub then

John Divney

Total neglect of the game by the R&A if it happens, surely it would be split like the FA cup Final on BT and Sky

The Olympics being professional was poor enough, this would be totally untraditional for the most traditional game on the planet, so hard to see it from that point

BigChap1759

Have to agree, this is the R&A's primary vehicle to inspire new players to the game - would be a sad day if it was on pay TV only

Keano

I'm not sure I agree it's neglect. Yes they are trying to grow the game but they also need more money in order to do that. Simply having it on the BBC is not necessarily going to attract more to the game.

The_Architect

bustercherry wrote: »

Bit of an overreaction

Well I'm not a big one for watching the pro's anyway. It's all a bit of a circus plus they rarely play on any courses worth looking at.

And I can't abide the extra circus / commercial approach by Sky.

So I don't watch the first two days of The Masters anymore, I look in to the US Open if the course is a good 'un, I generally ignore the USPGA and I never watch any other tour events. I do fall for the Ryder Cup despite myself though.

Take The Open off the BBC and I will probably forget about pro golf altogether.

irishgeo

Kristopherus wrote: »

I thought the Open was one of the "protected" events in UK?

Its only a CAT B event meaning that only highlights have to be shown.

Category B events can be shown on PPV, provided sufficient secondary coverage (highlights, delayed broadcast, etc.) is made to free-to-air broadcasters. As of 2000, the events covered by this category are:[1]

Athletics:

IAAF World Championships
Cricket:

Test matches played in England
World Cup (the final, semi-finals, and any matches involving the Home Nations)
Golf:

The Open
Ryder Cup

HighLine

The_Architect wrote: »

Well I'm not a big one for watching the pro's anyway. It's all a bit of a circus plus they rarely play on any courses worth looking at.

And I can't abide the extra circus / commercial approach by Sky.

So I don't watch the first two days of The Masters anymore, I look in to the US Open if the course is a good 'un, I generally ignore the USPGA and I never watch any other tour events. I do fall for the Ryder Cup despite myself though.

Take The Open off the BBC and I will probably forget about pro golf altogether.

That's just ridiculous to be honest. Each to their own though.

The_Architect

HighLine wrote: »

That's just ridiculous to be honest. Each to their own though.

I don't see why it's ridiculous. I've always been more of a do'er than a watcher.

And amateur golf just seems a little more fun.

slingerz

BBC is brilliant with the no ads. worst thing about the sky coverage of golf is the incessant ads that come up

charlieIRL

slingerz wrote: »

BBC is brilliant with the no ads. worst thing about the sky coverage of golf is the incessant ads that come up

true, or Sky +

I can watch 2 hours of golf in about 40 minutes!!

Keano

I couldn't do that - my Twitter addiction wouldn't let me

While I do like BBC I'm totally sold on all the "celebs" they have interviewing golfers.

charlieIRL

Keano wrote: »

I couldn't do that - my Twitter addiction wouldn't let me

I have to silent my phone and put away the tablet when doing it or i'd be checking scores or getting email updated from here!!

stitcheddepin

my favourite weekend of the year, watching the open from 9am to 9pm uninterrupted on bbc. I dont have sky sports, not that i want it with the ad breaks.
please don't take that away.

bustercherry

People are giving out about ad breaks without subscriptions to Sky. How would you know then? :rolleyes:

dan_ep82

It's perfectly feasible that they watched it in a friends/relations house or they had it and cancelled.

I could live with the adds, just not the price. An option for just sky sports 4 at a reduced rate would be great

MisterAnarchy

Jerry Seinfeld wrote: »

This wont go down well with the British public if there's no terrestrial coverage. The thought of Sky getting their hands on The Open is sickening, I still switch back to the BBC coverage of the Masters at the weekend.

It will be a low blow if the R&A sell the rights to Sky.

The R&A seem to be a pretty greedy organisation .
They have hiked the ticket prices up alot in recent years ,its now £75 per day and they have abolished discounts for seniors which was a pretty low blow.

vienne86

I have Sky so I'll see it anyway. BBC commentary sometimes irritates me, but I LOVE having four days of golf uninterupted by ads.

Speak Now

vienne86 wrote: »

I have Sky so I'll see it anyway. BBC commentary sometimes irritates me, but I LOVE having four days of golf uninterupted by ads.

Its funny I have sky as well but their commentary irritates me imagine Ewan Murray cliches for those 4 days

Finlay Harp

Peter Allis makes the BBC coverage for me.

Ras trent

I do believe it has recently been protected and has to be free to air , i read something of the sort a few months ago

vienne86

Ras trent wrote: »

I do believe it has recently been protected and has to be free to air , i read something of the sort a few months ago

Well if you can find a reference to that, you will make a lot of people on this forum very happy.

yettie1701

Was last years Open not Peter Allis's last open ? I have sky sports myself but I'd be really dissapointed if the BBC lost the open. I think Thier coverage is great to be honest. If Peter Allis is gone it wouldn't be the same I have to admit. There should still be some sacred things in the world of sport which unfortunately has been ruined by money.

coylemj

If Sky get exclusive rights to show the Open then the additional customers they get as a result will mean more money in the pot to bid for the next renewal of rights to the Premiership which will translate into even bigger wages for soccer players.

Rubert Murdoch's original model for Sky was as a subscription movie channel. When that didn't work he turned to sports, the result is the obscene wages that are paid to player in the English Premiership. The competition between BT Sport and Sky is only going to make things worse.

If Sky split off golf onto a separate subscription channel I might consider signing up but no way am I paying money that will simply help to yet again inflate wages in the Premiership. Soccer is a great sport to watch on TV but the money going into the sport is just crazy.

vienne86

coylemj wrote: »

If Sky get exclusive rights to show the Open then the additional customers they get as a result will mean more money in the pot to bid for the next renewal of rights to the Premiership which will translate into even bigger wages for soccer players.

Rubert Murdoch's original model for Sky was as a subscription movie channel. When that didn't work he turned to sports, the result is the obscene wages that are paid to player in the English Premiership. The competition between BT Sport and Sky is only going to make things worse.

If Sky split off golf onto a separate subscription channel I might consider signing up but no way am I paying money that will simply help to yet again inflate wages in the Premiership. Soccer is a great sport to watch on TV but the money going into the sport is just crazy.

I think we would all love Sky to split sports from each other and split the subscriptions, but I can't see them ever doing that. They will be quite happy for me to be paying for sports that don't interest me.

SevesThreeIron

coylemj wrote: »

If Sky get exclusive rights to show the Open then the additional customers they get as a result will mean more money in the pot to bid for the next renewal of rights to the Premiership which will translate into even bigger wages for soccer players.





It's obscene what they get alright but people rarely think of the upside - all the income tax generated. If you consider a 200k a week player pays nearly half that in tax, that's hundreds of millions going from the Sheikh's pocket and from Abrsmovich's into the taxpayers'
each year. Presumably pays for lots of schools or whatever.

vienne86

SevesThreeIron wrote: »

coylemj wrote: »

If Sky get exclusive rights to show the Open then the additional customers they get as a result will mean more money in the pot to bid for the next renewal of rights to the Premiership which will translate into even bigger wages for soccer players.





It's obscene what they get alright but people rarely think of the upside - all the income tax generated. If you consider a 200k a week player pays nearly half that in tax, that's hundreds of millions going from the Sheikh's pocket and from Abrsmovich's into the taxpayers'
each year. Presumably pays for lots of schools or whatever.

It's one thing using the Sheikh's pocket to bolster tax revenue, it is another thing using mine!

bustercherry

vienne86 wrote: »

I think we would all love Sky to split sports from each other and split the subscriptions, but I can't see them ever doing that. They will be quite happy for me to be paying for sports that don't interest me.

Then don't pay, you are not forced to subscribe.

Speak Now

bustercherry wrote: »

Then don't pay, you are not forced to subscribe.

That's the point of the thread though isn't? The Open possibly not being free to air

Id say we'll end up with a mix of both like the masters, a right shame though because I love the Thursday/Friday coverage on the BBC

FixdePitchmark

To come at this from a different angle.

Golf is a minority sport - it does not get on free to air / main tv much.

You have RTE doing the Irish Open (well taking the Euro Tour feed)

I think as golfers we forget how little golf is on tv.

Setanta do good work , but budget low at best.

For the growth of the game and to keep it in minds of the public - we need golf on main tv.

MisterAnarchy

Charles Sale on the Daily Mail is reporting that the BBC have lost the Open to Sky

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/golf/article-2933760/BBC-lose-Open-Sky-Sports-pay-10m-year-broadcast-golfs-crown-jewel.html

The R&A have left the BBC for a measly extra £3m per year to show an institution like the Open on pay tv with a limited audience.

These guys have lost the plot with their huge increases in admission price to the Open over the last few years,scrapping discounts for over 60's and now losing huge free advertisement for a sport that is struggling .

The Premier Man

Im delighted, the bbc coverage annoyed me.looking at flowers or a bird on a tree and then the commentators rambling on about golfers from years ago many were even club golfers.it was outdated compared to sky with the shot centre and analysis from pros that are in or around the current game.sky get my vote anyway all day everyday and twice on a sunday!

shy-tall-knight

Very disappointing, you pay a premium for a sports channel only to be bombarded with advertisements! Will never pay for that.

slave1

shy-tall-knight wrote: »

Very disappointing, you pay a premium for a sports channel only to be bombarded with advertisements! Will never pay for that.

This comes up time and time again, in a lot of cases it is not SS that are taking all the ads, that is the feed coming from the controlling network e.g. all US feeds for a start

vienne86

Really sorry to hear about this. Sky do a good job, but I loved having a great tournament with uninterrrupted coverage.