NBC Sports, based in Stamford, is the new home of golf”™s U.S. Open.
The United States Golf Association (USGA) made the announcement that media rights to the tournament will be shifted from Fox Sports, which has held those rights since 2015, to NBCUniversal starting in August.
The deal also gives NBC Sports and its subsidiary Golf Channel rights to the British Open, the Players Championship, three World Golf Championships, the Ryder Cup and the Presidents Cup. It also will have the FedEx Cup playoffs every other year when the new media rights deal with the PGA Tour begins.
NBC and Golf Channel also will have all the majors on the LPGA Tour and PGA Tour Champions.
“We are thrilled to acquire the remainder of Fox Sports”™ USGA agreement, and will carry the designated USGA events, including the U.S. Open, through 2026,” Pete Bevacqua, president of NBC Sports Group, said in a statement. The deal “further solidifies our platforms as the destination for golf viewers and enthusiasts, with NBC, Golf Channel, (course reservation service) GOLFNow and (subscription streaming service) GOLFPASS.”
NBC had previously broadcast the U.S. Open from 1995 to 2014; this year”™s event, originally scheduled for June 18-21, will run Sept. 17-20.
The terms of the agreement between NBCUniversal and the USGA will be the same as the previous agreement with Fox Sports, with the USGA receiving the same amount of remuneration, which was not disclosed, for the duration of the contract.
Fox decided to end its USGA agreement as it continues to try scheduling its array of NFL, Major League Baseball, and NCAA football games, which have been thrown into disarray due to COVID-19.
“Recent events calling for the shift of the U.S. Open created scheduling challenges that were difficult to overcome,” Fox Sports CEO and Executive Producer Eric Shanks said in a statement. “While we are proud of the success we”™ve built over these years, this is a win for golf fans everywhere, a win for the USGA and a win for Fox and NBC Sports.”
In March, NBC Sports Group announced it was relocating its Golf Channel headquarters from Orlando to Stamford.
