UK public-service broadcaster the BBC has retained highlights rights to golf’s Ryder Cup and has added coverage of the finale of the European Tour season, the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai, under an extended deal with the organisation.
The new agreement announced today (Thursday) runs through to 2022, taking in the 2020 Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits in Kohler, Wisconsin; and the 2022 tournament at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club in Rome, Italy. The BBC will provide television highlights, radio commentary and clips on the BBC Sport website.
In addition to the Ryder Cup, the new deal also sees the BBC retain television highlights of the BMW PGA Championship, the 2019 edition of which commenced today at Wentworth, and Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open, as well as the new addition of the DP World Tour Championship, until 2022.
In September 2018, pay-television broadcaster Sky extended its deal for both the European Tour and Ryder Cup until 2022.
The BBC last held live rights to the Ryder Cup in 1993, with Sky securing exclusive live coverage from the 1995 edition onwards.
The BBC also shows a two-hour highlights programme after each day of the Open Championship and holds highlights rights to the Women’s British Open. The public broadcaster also aired a daily highlights programme from the 2019 Solheim Cup, which concluded at Gleneagles, Scotland on Sunday.
Non-exclusive live weekend coverage of the US Masters is also part of the BBC’s golf output, although it was reported in April that Sky would assume the exclusive rights from 2020 onwards.