BBC confirms rights deal for PGA Championship

UK public-service broadcaster the BBC has today (Thursday) confirmed it has acquired rights to golf major the PGA Championship.

The BBC said it has struck a deal for the 2017 edition of the tournament, which takes place at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, North Carolina from August 10-13.

The live television coverage of the Championship will kick off on BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport online and the Red Button service with the conclusion of each day's play also shown on the BBC Two channel. This strategy is due to the tournament clashing with the BBC’s coverage of the World Athletics Championships in London.

The agreement will mark the BBC’s return to coverage of all four days of a major following the controversial loss of rights to The Open. In February 2015, pay-television broadcaster Sky agreed a five-year deal with the R&A, which operates the Open, for the 2017 event through to 2021. However, the BBC in September 2015 ended its deal early, allowing Sky to assume coverage from last year’s edition.

PGA of America chief commercial officer, Jeff Price, this month said the organisation would not extend its UK rights deal with Sky in favour of exploring a new model for the event. Sky’s rights deal for the PGA Championship has run for a decade, but was not renewed for this year’s tournament.

Meanwhile, BT Sport is in talks with Augusta National Golf Club, host organisation of the Masters, in an effort to take another of the sport’s major championships away from Sky, according to The Telegraph.

The UK newspaper said the talks come with Sky and Augusta reportedly at odds over the financial terms of an extension to their contract. Sky has been the main UK broadcaster of the Masters since 2011, with the BBC showing the final two rounds of the annual event live.