The BBC has been left with highlights-only TV coverage for the 2020 Masters after Sky Sports signed an exclusive rights deal
Why Is The Masters Not On BBC?
Sadly for terrestrial TV golf fans, it seems the BBC’s golfing days are numbered if not gone forever.
This year marks the first since 1955 when the BBC will have beamed precisely zero live Major championship golf into our living rooms.
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The corporation had still been due to air Olympic golf from Japan. But with the event postponed as a result of coronavirus, terrestrial TV golf viewers will have been completely bereft of big event coverage in 2020.
The good old days
Viewers of a particular vintage will fondly remember Steve Rider’s hair blowing about in the wind in the BBC’s open-sided Augusta booth, with Peter Alliss deliciously describing iconic moments like Sandy Lyle’s 7-iron in 1988 as the ball trundled back down the slope to makeable range – “this could spin; this could go”.
The 1990s BBC golf dream team – Alex Hay, Peter Alliss & Steve Rider (Photo: Getty Images)
Even last year, there was sufficient live coverage over the weekend for non-Sky customers to get a more than healthy fix of Tiger’s remarkable victory.
But this year, nothing, I’m afraid.
So, why is the Masters not on BBC this year?
The Radio Times website simply says: “There will be no live coverage of the tournament on BBC in 2020 after Sky signed an exclusive deal with tournament officials.”
Gary Lineker was the BBC’s live Masters anchor for a short spell (Photo: Getty Images)
So this year, if you want to watch live coverage of The Masters in the UK, it will only be via Sky Sports.
It will be showing live coverage of all four days on its Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Main Event Golf channels.
If you don’t have Sky, don’t despair – a Now TV Sky Sports Pass is an excellent alternative for those who don’t want to commit to a long-term contract.
You can get a day or month pass giving you access to all 11 Sky Sports Channels, which will stream on pretty much every modern device.
At the time of writing, the prices were £9.98 for a day pass or £24.99 per month for a three month pass (auto-renews so you must cancel in time).
BBC TV highlights and live radio
BBC will still offer TV highlights packages, however.
These will be anchored by Scot, Eilidh Barbour, and go out at the following times on BBC Two, BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport website and mobile app:
Thursday 12th – Round One highlights
11.30pm – 1am
Friday 13th – Round Two highlights
11.20pm – 12.50am
Saturday 14th – Round Three highlights
10.40pm – 12.10am
Sunday 15th – Final Round highlights
10.20pm – 12.20am
There will also be live BBC radio coverage from Friday to Sunday as follows:
Friday 13th – Round Two live radio coverage
7pm – 10pm: BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra and BBC Sounds
Saturday 14th – Round Three live radio coverage
7pm – 10pm: BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra and BBC Sounds
Sunday 15th – Final Round live radio coverage
4pm – 7.30pm: BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds
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