BBC requests early release from contract for British Open

The white flag has been raised, and it has nothing to do with horse racing. Rather, the BBC - once the trendsetters in televising sport - have, in surrendering their right to cover the British Open in 2016, demonstrated that a new order exists and that Sky Sports, in this part of the world, has more financial clout and greater desire to actually do the job of bringing sport into living rooms.

The rumour mill has been awash in recent months that the BBC were going to exit stage left from live coverage of the Open, having previously lost the rights to Sky starting in 2017. That the terrestrial station effectively threw in the towel and departed a year early says much about where the BBC now stands, very much living in the shadows of the satellite, pay channel.

So, no more Peter Alliss. No more Maureen Madill for that matter. Well, maybe in a highlights package; but that’s not the same!

And it says a lot that the R&A - after what the governing body describes as “significant deliberation” - agreed to release the BBC from a prior commitment to cover live next year’s Open from Royal Troon. It says more that the R&A expressed its gratitude to Sky for agreeing to commence live broadcasting a year early. The saving to the BBC amounts to £10 million (€13.5 million) for bailing out a year early which might please the bean counters but which comes at a greater cost to the broadcaster’s credibility.

The BBC could have exited with style and grace, using Troon as its swansong after 60 years of live broadcasting which was compulsive for many sports fans, not just golf fans. But there were signs as recent as this year’s Open at St Andrews that the BBC either lost the ability to cope or else the desire when reducing its airtime when the championship stretched into a Monday finish, and an extra day’s scheduling, due to weather.

Although the initial announcement earlier this year that Sky had beaten the BBC for live rights from 2017 onwards generated a public outcry, the R&A’s then chief executive Peter Dawson remarked: “If you were in possession of the same information as we were, there’s not a single person, believe me, who would not have made the same decision (to go with Sky) . . . . when we got to the second round of bids, all I can say is that it was very clear at that point that the BBC were interested in pursuing the highlights option only - construe that as you will.”

Martin Slumbers, Dawson's successor as chief executive, said - in a statement - it was "sad" to see the BBC's live coverage finish. "I know some fans will be disappointed," he admitted, adding: "We are committed to delivering a spectacular edition of The Open next year at Royal Troon and working with both Sky Sports and the BBC we will ensure compelling coverage for millions of fans throughout the United Kingdom and Ireland."

The BBC’s coffers for spending on big time sport has dwindled and, rather than put the British Open as a priority, it - in many ways - saw the writing on the wall and opted to put its money into securing the rights to Wimbledon (to 2020), the next two soccer World Cups, rugby’s Six Nations (to 2021) and the next three Olympic Games rather than getting into a battle with Sky for golf’s oldest Major.

What it means for golf fans, and sports fans generally, is that the sport is effectively a pay to watch zone now. Sky already has long-term contracts with the European Tour and the PGA Tour and has also sealed the rights to the Masters at Augusta and now, a year early, the rights to the Open. The sport, as a live television spectacle, has been well and truly lost to terrestrial television.