The Open’s “fairly tired and outdated broadcast turned absolutely world class” when the R&A swapped broadcasters from the BBC to Sky Sports, chief executive Martin Slumbers has claimed.
The chief executive was responding to news that the BBC has snapped up live rights to the PGA Championship next month after Sky failed to come to an agreement with the PGA of America. Last year the BBC relinquished live rights for the Open for a highlights package and Sky took over, with a huge drop in audience in the switch from a free-to-air channel to a subscription service.
Sky and partners European Tour Productions did win a BAFTA for their coverage at Royal Troon, as Slumbers pointed out, but he was still defiant to suggestions that the R&A had minimised their reach and impact by going to the satellite channel.
“We’re not uncomfortable at all, in fact, we are very happy with our partnerships with Sky and with NBC and Golf Channel and the partners in European Tour Productions,” he said.
“I think when we moved last year we took what was frankly a fairly tired and outdated broadcast and turned it into absolutely world class. And I think that was a combination and a partnership of those organisations with the R&A that I think has truly improved how people are watching golf.
“Sky and ETP’s coverage won a BAFTA for sport. I think that was a fantastic testament to what we was done last year at Royal Troon, and we’re building on that this year.”
The coverage of the championship went beyond these shores, he added.
“The world of TV has changed and is going to change even more,” he continued. “We’re very comfortable working with a partner that really understands the technology, they understand golf, and they understand how they can help us showcase this fantastic championship to the world.
“It is clearly good to have more reach, but The Open is a global product. We touched 600 million households last year with The Open Championship in multiple countries all around the world.”
The R&A calling anyone outdated, with their track record, will at least raise an eyebrow. But under Slumbers they’re keen to promote a more youthful attitude and in perhaps a veiled dig at the BBC’s veteran commentator Peter Alliss, the chief executive referred to the necessity to appeal to a younger audience.
“What’s really important is to get younger people interested,” he said. “That’s what we’re trying to do here at the R&A and with The Open and what our partners are trying to do on television.
“We have an absolute policy on encouraging under 25’s to come here to The Open, we changed our youth tickets from under 21’s to under 25’s this year. Our camping village for under 25’s is free and Friday and Saturday night is fully sold out.
“We need to make sure that the way we show technology and show the TV is attractive to younger people, and I think we’re doing a great job of that.”
