You could see live coverage of the delayed final round of the 144th Open Championship in Kentucky before you could see it in Kirkcaldy.
ESPN, the US TV network, came on air with their coverage of the first Monday finish of an Open in 27 years at 11am BST fully two and three quarter hours before the BBC start their coverage for the UK at 1.45pm.
Play started at 7.45am. But apparently, the schedules were so set in stone and the contracts of their corporation’s camera operators so immovable that six hours of play would pass before the BBC could or would show it.
Not the BBC's finest moment, this. And to think the R&A were abused for taking the Open to Sky.
— Ewan Murray (@mrewanmurray) July 20, 2015
This comes only a few months since the cries of anguish that the BBC were losing live rights at the Open to Sky Sports. The corporation, for the most part other than an ill-judged intervention by Gary Lineker of all people, have stood back quietly while the R&A and Sky took considerable flak for selling the nation’s birthright to free-to-air, day long coverage of the championship.
The truth, as evidenced by today’s commitment to coverage, is that the Open was a burden to the BBC. They wanted out, and they’re perfectly happy with the two-hour highlights package they’ll have instead when the new Sky contract kicks in – perhaps a year early at Troon next year, if rumours are to be believed.
Understand your frustration at coverage being later today, but camera operators among those who simply have other work contracts to fulfil.
— Andrew Cotter (@MrAndrewCotter) July 20, 2015
The corporation are retreating from sport across the board. It’s too expensive to cover, but it’s also too sensitive for the Beeb to admit that they can no longer put resources into covering it.
Most golf fans are perfectly happy with this. Sky cover the European Tour professionally and extensively, and in far superior fashion to the now “once-a-year” BBC. Losing free-to-air TV coverage of the Open should be regrettable, but not with this lack of quality and commitment.
Every accredited media outlet is covering the Open as normal today. Except for the Beeb, who have sole broadcast rights. Magic.
— Michael Gannon (@MichaelGannon) July 20, 2015