List of The Open Championship broadcasters explained

As of 2017, European Tour Productions serves as the host broadcaster for the Open Championship. The host broadcaster, as well as British and American broadcasters Sky Sports and NBC Sports respectively, utilized a total of 175 cameras during the 2016 tournament.[1] [2]

Current broadcasters

Country/Region!2018!2019!2020!2021!2022!2023!2024!2025!2026!2027!2028
United KingdomSky Sports
Republic of Ireland
United States
BrazilESPN[3]
Latin America ESPN
CaribbeanESPN
South AfricaSuperSport
AustraliaFox Sports
JapanTV Asahi[4]
Hong KongFox Sports
South East Asia
CanadaTSN
SpainMovistar Golf

Coverage overview

In the United Kingdom, the Open Championship was historically broadcast by the BBC—a relationship which lasted from 1955 to 2015. The BBC's rights to the Open had been threatened by the event's removal from Category A of Ofcom's "listed" events, a status which legally mandated that the Open be broadcast in its entirety by a terrestrial broadcaster. It had since been moved to Category B, meaning that television rights to the tournament could now be acquired by a pay television outlet, such as BT Sport or Sky Sports, as long as rights to broadcast a highlights programme are given to one of the main terrestrial broadcasters.[5]

Beginning in 2016, Sky Sports will have exclusive UK rights to The Open with the BBC showing a 2-hour highlights programme every night instead of live coverage.[6] Sky's major event coverage is fronted by David Livingstone, expert analysis from Butch Harmon, on course commentary from Howard Clark, in-depth 18th hole interviews from tour coach and golfing expert, Tim Barter and main commentary from Ewen Murray and Bruce Critchley. Other golfers such as Peter Oosterhuis, Tony Johnstone, Thomas Bjørn, David Howell, Richard Boxall, Jamie Spence, Mark Roe, Robert Lee, Ross McFarlane, Sandy Lyle, Colin Montgomerie, Paul McGinley, Philip Parkin and Ken Brown contributing to their coverage over the years.

In the United States,[7] ABC had historically held rights to the Open.[8] Beginning in 2010 under an eight-year agreement, the Open moved exclusively to ABC's sister pay television channel ESPN, with only tape-delayed highlights shown on ABC.[9] In June 2015, it was announced that NBC Sports would acquire rights to the Open Championship under a 12-year deal beginning in 2017; early round coverage airs on USA Network, with the main NBC network broadcasting live weekend coverage. The R&A cited NBC's successful broadcasts of Premier League football, which also primarily airs on weekend mornings in U.S. time zones, as an advantage of NBC's acquisition of The Open.[10] Similarly to the BBC, ESPN chose to opt out of its final year of Open rights, causing NBC's rights to begin in 2016 instead.[11]

Additional notes

Early ABC coverage

1982-1996

Later ABC and ESPN coverage

1997-2005

2006-2015

NBC and Golf Channel

2016–present

Commentators

Play-by-play/anchors

AnnouncerYearsNetwork(s)
Terry Gannon20172018NBC
Dan Hicks[18] 2016-presentNBC
Ernie Johnson Jr.20032005; 20072009TNT
Jim McKay19621967; 19751983; 19851988; 19901993; 19962001ABC
Brent Musburger19921996ABC
Lou Palmer1982ESPN
Chris Schenkel19681974ABC
Jim Simpson1982ESPN
Mike Tirico1997–presentABC
ESPN
TNT
NBC
Roger Twibell19901991ABC
Jack Whitaker19821989ABC

Analysts

AnnouncerYearsNetwork(s)
19752015ABC
BBC
ESPN
Paul Azinger20052015; 2019–2023ABC
ESPN
NBC
Ian Baker-Finch2004
20082009
ABC
TNT
Bobby Clampett20032007TNT
Nick Faldo20042007ABC
Justin Leonard20172018NBC
Dave Marr19701991ABC
Steve Melnyk1992
19941997
ABC
Johnny Miller2016-2018NBC
Byron Nelson19661974ABC
19982003, 2011-2015ABC
Tom Watson2008ABC

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Live From The Open Championship: A New Era Begins for the R&A. Sports Video Group. 15 July 2016 . 31 July 2016.
  2. Web site: CTV Takes Axon's Cerebrum Back To The Open Golf Championship. TV Technology. 29 July 2016 . 31 July 2016.
  3. News: ESPN to show The Open in Latin America, Brazil, for next three years. 18 July 2018. ESPN. 24 January 2019.
  4. Web site: テレ朝 ゴルフの全英オープン中継から撤退へ 42年間放送も放映権料高騰で苦渋の決断 - スポニチ Sponichi Annex スポーツ . 2024-03-13 . スポニチ Sponichi Annex . ja.
  5. Web site: Code on Sports and Other Listed and Designated Events . Ofcom . March 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110125053653/http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/binaries/broadcast/other-codes/ofcom_code_on_sport.pdf . 25 January 2011 . live.
  6. Web site: Open Championship: Sky wins rights; BBC to show highlights . BBC Sport . 3 February 2015. 3 February 2015.
  7. Web site: History of British Open on US TV (1962-present). Haggar. Jeff. July 15, 2013. Classic TV Sports. https://web.archive.org/web/20210726005055/http://www.classictvsports.com/2013/07/history-of-british-open-on-us-tv-1962.html . 26 July 2021 .
  8. News: ABC getting a major chance with British Open coverage . Los Angeles Times . Stewart . Larry . 21 July 1995 . 23 July 2012.
  9. Web site: All four rounds of British Open shown live on ESPN beginning in '10 . ESPN . 13 November 2008 . 26 July 2016.
  10. NBC, Golf Channel ending ABC/ESPN British Open reign . Sports Business Journal . 8 June 2015 . John . Ourand . John . Lombardo . 8 June 2015.
  11. News: NBC getting British Open a year early . 12 October 2015 . Sports Business Journal . John . Ourand . 12 October 2015.
  12. Web site: Original ABC footage of TC Chen double hit in 1985 US Open. Hagger. Jeff. June 15, 2015. Classic TV Sports.
  13. News: Sarni. Jim. July 22, 1988. L.A., BOSTON GET THE AIR; HEAT WILL BE SHOWN ONCE. Sun-Sentinel.
  14. Book: Freeman, Michael . ESPN: The Uncensored History . Taylor Trade Publishing . New York . 2002 . 0-87833-270-7 . 121.
  15. News: ABC Unit to Buy Stake in ESPN. The New York Times. January 4, 1984. March 8, 2010.
  16. Web site: NBC names Mike Tirico host of 2016 British Open coverage. Golf Digest. 5 August 2016.
  17. News: Golf Channel unveils Olympics plans; NBC says 'no shows' to have regrets. Baker. Liana. 3 May 2016. Reuters. 9 May 2016.
  18. News: Lucia. Joe. July 19, 2023. Your 2023 British Open announcing schedule. Awful Announcing. July 23, 2023.