The Ladies Golf Union and IMG agency have signed new five-year agreements with UK pay-television broadcaster Sky and public-service broadcaster the BBC for rights to the Women’s British Open.
The deals, running from 2017 to 2021, will be similar in structure to last week’s agreement sealed by the R&A governing body for the men’s Open Championship.
Sky Sports will provide live coverage of all four days of the Women’s British Open in the UK, while the BBC will offer a one-hour daily highlights programme each evening of the major championship. The BBC currently holds the live rights to the tournament.
Sky this month confirmed a five-year deal with the R&A, which operates the Open Championship, for the acquisition of exclusive live rights to the British golf major.
The agreement takes in the five editions of the Open running from 2017 to 2021. The Open Championship will, for the first time, be shown live on Sky Sports with prime-time television highlights delivered by the BBC.
Sky Sports’ inaugural live Women’s British Open will be at Kingsbarns in 2017, a course that will be hosting a major for the first time.