The BBC has dropped its coverage of the Open Championship a year earlier than planned.
Sky Sports was due to take over the coverage in 2017 in a five-year deal when it will more than double the current £7m a year paid by the BBC. It will now step in to cover Royal Troon next year after the R&A agreed to release the BBC from its contract.
Barbara Slater, the director of BBC sport, said “the choice to amend the current contract from next year was a pragmatic one” based on the cost of covering golf’s oldest major.
The BBC, she said, was “faced with some challenging financial savings targets. Sport on the BBC is not immune to those pressures and they are compounded by the highly inflationary nature of the rights market”.
Barney Francis, Sky Sports managing director, said: “We’re pleased to begin our commitment to the Open a year early and look forward to bringing unprecedented coverage of this wonderful championship.”
The R&A said it agreed to the BBC’s request after “significant deliberation” and would not receive any additional revenue as a result of the new arrangement.
Martin Slumbers, its chief executive, said: “We are looking forward to world-class coverage of the Open from our partners at Sky Sports and are grateful that they have stepped in a year early.
“We are committed to delivering a spectacular edition of the Open next year at Royal Troon.”
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