Martin Slumbers, the chief executive of the R&A, has taken a swipe at the BBC by criticising “tired and outdated” golf coverage by the terrestrial channel. Slumbers’ comments are especially pertinent with the final major of the year, the US PGA Championship, on the verge of reverting to the corporation for live UK coverage after the PGA of America opted not to renew a deal with Sky Sports.
This year’s Open Championship will be the second to be shown live on Sky. The 2016 tournament at Royal Troon suffered a huge decline in television audience, including 75% on the previous year’s final round, which to many vindicated criticism of the R&A for taking the Open away from the BBC.
On Wednesday, in staunchly defending the R&A’s broadcasting decisions, Slumbers was pointed with his words despite not usually being known for caustic or controversial comment.
“We’re not uncomfortable at all,” Slumbers said. “In fact, we are very happy with our partnerships. I think when we moved last year we took what was frankly a fairly tired and outdated broadcast, turned it into absolutely world class and raised the whole level of the way it was shown. I think that was a combination and a partnership of those organisations with the R&A that has truly improved how people are watching golf.
“A testament to that was that [the Open coverage] won a Bafta for sport. They were up against the BBC’s coverage of the Olympics and Paralympics, and also the Six Nations. So I think that was a fantastic testament to what we did last year at Royal Troon, and really shows what you can do with TV. We’re building on that this year.”
Golf’s ability to grow in Britain via a non-terrestrial platform has been widely questioned. Slumbers, though, remains unmoved. “I think it depends on what you’re trying to achieve,” he said.
“I don’t buy the argument around participation and reach. It is clearly good to have more reach. But the Open is a global product. It’s not just a UK product. We touched 600 million households last year with the Open Championship in multiple countries all around the world. This is a global event.
“I think what’s really important is to get younger people interested. If you look at what we’re trying to do here at the R&A, with the Open and what our partners are trying to do on television, is attract younger people to watch this.”
Slumbers revealed security has been enhanced for the 146th Open. “Security has been higher up our list of what to do this year than ever before,” he said. “You will have seen security build up during the week and you will see it continuing to build up. You will see overt armed police officers, and there will also be hidden things.
“It’s all designed to reassure everyone who is inside the grounds and who is waiting to get inside the course of their safety. In the world we now live in, it’s become a major issue and something we spend an awful lot of time on.”
The BBC won the race for live UK coverage of the US PGA Championship in a shock deal that could be announced before the end of this week. This marks a potentially seismic shift for golf, amid an earlier fear that interest in the sport would be damaged by an apparent permanent shift away from terrestrial broadcasting.
The Guardian revealed last week that Sky Sports had lost live rights to the final major of the year after talks broke down with the PGA of America. The tournament organisers promised a “multi platform” alternative but at least an element of live television coverage was also always likely.
Sky was embarrassed by news breaking of its US PGA scenario days after it announced the forthcoming unveiling of a dedicated golf channel. Should the BBC confirm its US PGA deal in Open week, further red faces will ensue at Sky.
This marks only the second Open shown live by the satellite channel, in a move from the BBC deemed highly controversial at the time. Sky’s agreement to show all four days of the Masters exclusively is yet to be extended after an existing deal ended last year.
One complication relating to the BBC’s new major agreement relates to a clash with the world athletics championships, which the corporation was already committed to covering. However, it is believed that is not problematic with a combination of linear television channels and the BBC red button being utilised.