The BBC have walked away from talks over extending the rights to show highlights from The Masters as the corporation’s 56-year association with Augusta National seems set to end, according to the latest Telegraph report.
The same newspaper reported in January that BBC executives were pondering not renewing the rights deal with Augusta National to show highlights from The Masters, with Sky Sports continuing to have live rights.
First shown back in 1967 on the BBC, The Masters is the most revered tournament in golf and had been shown continually on BBC channels since 1986.
That run now looks like ending with the Telegraph reporting that the fee for highlights in excess of £1 million has been deemed too high for the BBC, who are walking away from a deal in a bid to cut overall running costs.
Sky Sports secured rights to live coverage from all four days back in 2011, with the BBC having live footage from the weekend at Augusta until 2020, when it was reduced down to just highlights.
If confirmed, the news will be a big blow to those who feel terrestrial TV exposure is crucial for golf, but others, including Rory McIlroy, feel that golf is being consumed in a different way these days.
McIlroy was asked about the possibility of the BBC losing Masters right when the first Telegraph story emerged, answering: “I think if you’re thinking nostalgically, yes, it is, growing up watching the Masters and The Open on BBC.
“I just think the landscape of sports and media and entertainment has changed so much over the last 10 years that it’s not the model anymore. It’s either Sky in the UK or it’s streaming services.
“And the rights to these sporting events have just become so expensive that it’s just not feasible for companies like the BBC to pay that sort of money.
“Is it unfortunate? Yes, but I’d say that the majority of the households in the UK have Sky and people are still able to watch.”
Any hope of terrestrial TV viewers still having access to The Masters has been dashed with with neither ITV or Channel 4 said to be interested in picking up the rights from the BBC.
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