Golf coverage/commentator discussion thread!! Mod note #12

First Up

I'd say Sky having a dedicated golf channel featuring instruction as well as much longer and frequent coverage of the European, US, African Australian and smaller tours makes them a lot better.

I agree TV coverage probably helps but for a sport like golf, access to courses, equipment and coaching is much more important in getting people into the game.

bren2001

First Up wrote: »

I'd say Sky having a dedicated golf channel featuring instruction as well as much longer and frequent coverage of the European, US, African Australian and smaller tours makes them a lot better.

I agree TV coverage probably helps but for a sport like golf, access to courses, equipment and coaching is much more important in getting people into the game.

But nobody is saying the BBC should cover all of golf, it's literally just the British Open (in the last few comments) or the 4 majors in general. Yeah, if you want to watch golf, it makes sense from a financial standpoint for it to be on Sky.

First Up

bren2001 wrote:

But nobody is saying the BBC should cover all of golf, it's literally just the British Open (in the last few comments) or the 4 majors in general. Yeah, if you want to watch golf, it makes sense from a financial standpoint for it to be on Sky.

So Sky do the donkey work, bringing the game to the screen twelve months of the year but should stand aside and let the BBC have the four biggest tournaments because that's all the golf some people have the interest to watch?

bren2001

First Up wrote: »

So Sky do the donkey work, bringing the game to the screen twelve months of the year but should stand aside and let the BBC have the four biggest tournaments because that's all the golf some people have the interest to watch?

I don't know where I said they should stand aside. That implies that regular events and majors are sold to Sky in one package which isn't the case. Sky buy the rights to the European Tour and the PGA tour off each respective tour. That doesn't include the majors and, as these are effectively commercial bodies, it makes sense to sell to the highest bidder.

The R&A control the Open (as in the ET and PGA tour have absolutely no say over any of it) and where it is broadcast. Their role is slightly different as in, they set the rules of the game and their function is to grow the game. It's for this reason why I think it should be on FTA television. The same is true for the PGA Championship which is controlled by the PGA (not the PGA tour) and the US Open which is controlled by the USGA. The Masters is the only major who don't have an intrinsic responsibility to grow the game, they are a commercial body.

If it was one television rights package for sale for the regular tour events and the majors, it would be a different discussion. However, that's not the case. Why would the PGA Tour or the European Tours decision to sell to Sky have any bearing on who the R&A should sell to? They're separate and independent bodies.

First Up

bren2001 wrote:

I don't know where I said they should stand aside. That implies that regular events and majors are sold to Sky in one package which isn't the case. Sky buy the rights to the European Tour and the PGA tour off each respective tour. That doesn't include the majors and, as these are effectively commercial bodies, it makes sense to sell to the highest bidder.

Yes, Sky's investment in golf includes out-bidding the BBC for majors. Are you suggesting someone should step in and award them to the BBC?

Blinky Plebum

First Up wrote: »

So Sky do the donkey work, bringing the game to the screen twelve months of the year but should stand aside and let the BBC have the four biggest tournaments because that's all the golf some people have the interest to watch?

Weekend coverage of the Masters is on Both Sky and BBC.

An arrangement like this for all the majors would be a good idea and Sky wouldn't really lose out if anything they could benefit as it's advertising their product on the BBC.

American sports tend to be much more sensible/mature about how they areb broadcast the networks regaulrly mention their rivals who are coverig a sport because all these rival networks know you grow interest in the sport as a whole it helps them aswell.

bren2001

First Up wrote: »

Yes, Sky's investment in golf includes out-bidding the BBC for majors. Are you suggesting someone should step in and award them to the BBC?

Why should money be the sole determining factor as to where the majors are broadcast? But yes, I am saying the R&A should award them to the BBC for less money than Sky are willing to pay.

Sky shouldn't stand aside, they should do everything they can to have them. I'm sure they make money on them.

EDIT: Or have them on Sky and the BBC which the Masters do.

PhuckHugh22

Blinky Plebum wrote: »

Weekend coverage of the Masters is on Both Sky and BBC.

An arrangement like this for all the majors would be a good idea and Sky wouldn't really lose out if anything they could benefit as it's advertising their product on the BBC.

American sports tend to be much more sensible/mature about how they areb broadcast the networks regaulrly mention their rivals who are coverig a sport because all these rival networks know you grow interest in the sport as a whole it helps them aswell.

Id be fairly pissed if Sky starting showing golfs flagship events for free on BBC for something that i am spending €50 quid a month on to "grow the game"
Maybe they could show some of the other smaller events if you want them to advertise their product. The John Deere Classic or Scottish open.


By the term "grow the game" do people just mean that i dont want to pay to watch 4 torunaments a year?

bren2001

PhuckHugh22 wrote: »

Id be fairly pissed if Sky starting showing golfs flagship events for free on BBC for something that i am spending €50 quid a month on to "grow the game"
Maybe they could show some of the other smaller events if you want them to advertise their product. The John Deere Classic or Scottish open.


By the term "grow the game" do people just mean that i dont want to pay to watch 4 torunaments a year?

It clearly wouldn't be Skys preferred choice but it'd be up to you if you continued to subscribe. It isn't Sky showing flagship events on the BBC, it would be the BBC showing golf with their own setup and Sky operating independent of them (cameras and feed aside).

By grow the game, people mean that the casual sports fan watches, their kids watches and it encourages people to go out and try it themselves. The majors are the only way you're realistically going to get more eyes on these and that's probably the most effective way of increasing participation.

As an aside, I pay for Sky and if the majors were removed, I'd still pay for Sky.

Blinky Plebum

PhuckHugh22 wrote: »

Id be fairly pissed if Sky starting showing golfs flagship events for free on BBC for something that i am spending €50 quid a month on to "grow the game"
Maybe they could show some of the other smaller events if you want them to advertise their product. The John Deere Classic or Scottish open.


By the term "grow the game" do people just mean that i dont want to pay to watch 4 torunaments a year?

This is already happening for the masters.

It has been proven over and over again that showing sport on Free To Air television increases it's appal and broadens he support base.

Womens soccer has almost certainly benefitted massively due to the coverage of the world cup on the BBC, conversely cricket has declined in the UK due to it being on Sky only for the last 15 years or so.

Sports should be trying to maximise their audience.

First Up

Blinky Plebum wrote:

It has been proven over and over again that showing sport on Free To Air television increases it's appal and broadens he support base.

Of course more people see FtA TV but that only matters if they are showing the sport in question.

Loafing Oaf

How many times will I have to watch that Nick Faldo celebrating clip between now and Sunday?:mad:

SeeMoreBut

Loafing Oaf wrote: »

How many times will I have to watch that Nick Faldo celebrating clip between now and Sunday?:mad:

None if you turn the tv off

lostatsea

Azinger is commentating on Sky. It is great to listen to someone who is refreshingly honest about the players. This is a pleasant change from the sycophantic adulation of players employed by Ewan Murray and co.

Mantis Toboggan

So sky have been broadcasting the open today from 6.30am to 8.30pm.

That's how you cover major golfing events, Masters take note.

Mantis Toboggan

Loving the new sky scope.

GolfNut33

Sky really have nailed Golf coverage the past few years.

Mantis Toboggan

Mantis Toboggan wrote: »

So sky have been broadcasting the open today from 6.30am to 8.30pm.

That's how you cover major golfing events, Masters take note.

TBF to the masters they showed every shot of every player in the tournamnet its never been done before,

Sure they need to get the tv coverage up scratch but it was brillaint.

The other majors yes and golf coverage as a whole.

I dont even think the coverage has been great it still follows the feature group format.

There was so many players not shown or only shown when on a massive run

I also saw every Tiger shot and every rory shot even though they shot massively over par.

Even the us open did a 3 hole coverage and on different holes each day.

and no shot tracker is just criminal in this day and age

Loafing Oaf

Laura Davies is a decent commentator but she needs to dial it down a bit

Deeper Blue

[Deleted User] wrote: »

TBF to the masters they showed every shot of every player in the tournamnet its never been done before

Did they? On the website? TV coverage was the same as always from what I could see. It'd be great if they had similar TV coverage to the Open.

GreeBo

NDWC wrote: »

Did they? On the website? TV coverage was the same as always from what I could see. It'd be great if they had similar TV coverage to the Open.

Yeah they had an app/website that covered every single shot which was very impressive

TheCitizen

Golf coverage is always so ridiculously biased. Lowry is co leader but not a big name and they're missing some of his shots while they follow everything from Rose and lots from players that are out of it like Woods and McIlroy

GreeBo

TheCitizen wrote: »

Golf coverage is always so ridiculously biased. Lowry is co leader but not a big name and they're missing some of his shots while they follow everything from Rose and lots from players that are out of it like Woods and McIlroy

tbf I'm seeing lots of Lowry and he isn't that far into his round.


Meanwhile thankfully McGinley has left the booth.

FixdePitchmark

lads did anyone ever get the sky sports day pass from golf now ? does it work do you get the golf ?

GolfNut33

Loafing Oaf wrote: »

Laura Davies is a decent commentator but she needs to dial it down a bit

I like her but she jumps the gun a bit and has to correct herself too much. Also, she tends to make a statement as a question, eg. "He a good putter, isnt he?". "He got lucky there, didn't he?".

Deeper Blue

I'd much rather if they had Harrington in the commentary booth rather than Clarke

RikkFlair

FixdePitchmark wrote: »

lads did anyone ever get the sky sports day pass from golf now ? does it work do you get the golf ?

Nowtv you mean? Got it for the Masters, you get the full Sky coverage, have you a way of casting it to your tv?

Debating whether to get it now myself since Shane isn't in the feature group on the Open website...

Remind me

NDWC wrote: »

I'd much rather if they had Harrington in the commentary booth rather than Clarke

Solely on location of the tournament. He wouldn’t have been invited if it was in Turnberry

Deeper Blue

Remind me wrote: »

Solely on location of the tournament. He wouldn’t have been invited if it was in Turnberry

Agreed. He's gone now anyway thankfully

razorblunt

I thought sky were excellent again, I like Dougherty, initially didn’t but he’s strange when presenting as he’s always squinting.