The NBC Sports Group division of media company NBCUniversal has struck a deal to assume live coverage in the US of golf’s Open Championship from the 2016 edition of the British event – a year earlier than planned.
In June, NBC Sports Group snapped up rights for the championship for 12 years, from 2017 to 2028, in a deal with the R&A, which operates the Open. The agreement included coverage of the Senior Open, Walker Cup and Amateur Championship.
NBC Sports Group has now brokered a deal with pay-television broadcaster ESPN, which was due to show the 2016 tournament, as well as the R&A, to begin its coverage one year earlier.
Coverage will be shown on the NBC network and NBC Sports Group broadcasters Golf Channel and NBC Universo in English and Spanish, respectively.
Last month, UK pay-television broadcaster Sky agreed a deal to assume live coverage of the championship from the 2016 edition of the major after the acceptance of a proposal from public-service broadcaster the BBC to end its obligations a year early.
US golfer Zach Johnson (pictured) won the 2015 Open in July.