Masters is off the Beeb

[Captainron]

I’m not that unhappy as I only watch the Sky coverage. I do like their golf coverage and am happy to pay for it

 

[Cake]

You can’t get the sports on its own though , still need to pay the extra to get the entertainment etc so it’s about £60 plus a month , either way it’s not cheap

You can get just the Sports channels via NowTV; I’ve been paying £20 a month for the past 9 months through a voucher (normally £33.99), and have just extended that by a further 2 months with another offer. Absolute bargain!

 

[Deleted member 15344]

You can get just the Sports channels via NowTV; I’ve been paying £20 a month for the past 9 months through a voucher (normally £33.99), and have just extended that by a further 2 months with another offer. Absolute bargain!

Bb in our area not that great during busy times - I have Sky anyway , lucky I get a great deal , because we want to watch sport but the price is going to keep going up

 

[abjectplop]

I used to be with Sky but now just use their Now TV service for sport only..... I bought the 10 month season ticket which works out at £19 a month. Since I cancelled Sky, they regularly write to me and offer entertainment plus sports package for £28 a month so the deals are there.

 

[HankMarvin]

Great news to hear that Sky has it covered, money talks and they are spending my subscription money well. Top job Sky Sports

 

[robinthehood]

Bb in our area not that great during busy times - I have Sky anyway , lucky I get a great deal , because we want to watch sport but the price is going to keep going up

2mbps is enough for now tv.
Obviously not as fully featured as a sky box. No rewind etc

 

[Swinglowandslow]

I think within three years or so that the BBC will become a subscription channel. Some will choose it and some will not.
That is how it should be. Presently I have to pay for it whether I watch it or not, and if I don't pay ( even if I don't watch it)! I am made a criminal.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

The R&A imo will be a touch worried about the restricted viewing

No they won't. They are surely getting a cut of the Sky deal to show the Open and still make millions of quid from that and their other rights. Losing a few million viewers won't impact their coffers significantly. The biggest issue in my book is what they are doing with all this revenue and why there aren't more initiatives at kids, junior and club levels to help drive the game forward and attract new players. That's whats needed

 

[Marshy77]

Couple of questions

Less than £10 a week ? A bit more than that for the sports on Sky

Invest in Golf - it’s an interesting saying , is it like all the other sports they have invested in where the money increases into the sport - yep but it stays at the high level and that’s it , does that help the sport ? Well it certainly helps the pros getting more money no doubt but I doubt it does nothing to help the sport or grow the game

Showing the game on Terrestrial May not help the sport - removing it certainly won’t and whilst no one can say for certain there can be no doubt imo that less people watching the sport is not a good thing and imo will have an affect on participation- how big that is who knows but golf has prob just lost another couple million viewers.

So we have gone from having approx 4 million watching the Open to around at best 1 mil and about 2/3 mill who watch the Masters to about half a mil - that for me isn’t good but it was only a matter of time - Sports moving to Sky has increased funding but I expect had decreased participation - it’s no surprise that after an Olympics there is a small boom off sports that are showing during the games - thankfully every four years there will golf

I pay about £20/25 month for all the Sky Sports channels.

Where have them figures come from and from which year? be interesting to see the comparison to how people watch now.

 

[Deleted member 21258]

What I always find strange, is most people would tend to agree that growing the game, is easier done if you target middle aged or older adults.

So I would say normal TV services are important in getting it out there, due to the number of older people watching TV and a larger number of viewers.

I know plenty of households without sky or do not watch streamed services on their TV for the adults (yeah much less so for children due to mobile technology).

Its about 10-15 years to early to say normal TV is 'dead' or unimportant to getting golf out there due to older people.

I would bet a pound that when golf was shown on TV (with larger viewing numbers) and this would still be applicable due to the larger viewing figures, more Nomads played the game around those dates on a green fee basis, certainly what I have heard in the past from the nomads I know. Just like when Wimbledon is on, its about the only time you see people using the tennis courts in public parks, same effect with golf, more green fees to the clubs at the bottom of the ladder.

I don't disagree about children, are the future of the game and need to play the game at as early age as possible, in the hope that they return to the game either as a nomad or member later in life.

 

[robinthehood]

There is not so much live golf on free to air tv, but still a fair bit of highlights. 4 hrs a week of pga tour.

 

[sunshine]

Totally agree. I don't get all this where has the money gone? The BBC sold their golfing soul many moons ago and at best have paid lip service to the game whereas Sky has taken the plunge and invested in getting as much TV rights as they can. I am certain those hard done by BBC viewers will be able to find a way to purchase a day pass to watch the action should they so wish. I really think all this golf on terrestrial grows the game is rubbish and to be honest surely the onus for that has to be on the R&A as the guardian of the game and all the money they make to invest this back into grass roots and not rely on a TV company run as a business to make money

The point is the BBC isn't run to make money, it's providing a public service

 

[Deleted member 16999]

Disappointing it won’t be shown on BBC, any Golf on the normal channels would be a bonus.

 

[pool888]

There is not so much live golf on free to air tv, but still a fair bit of highlights. 4 hrs a week of pga tour.

Which channel(s) is this on?

 

[HomerJSimpson]

The point is the BBC isn't run to make money, it's providing a public service

But still has to bid for certain events. The point is they've not really had any true interest in golf for a while (selling up their Open rights early) and the fact is it is the R&A that are the real winners as they must be on a cut of the TV revenue. It is this money I want to see re-invested back in developing and growing the game

 

[sunshine]

I think it was only a matter of time but lets be honest look at what Sky chuck at their broadcast and what they are promising https://www.skysports.com/golf/news...ive-live-broadcaster-of-the-masters-in-the-uk

Add in they show the par 3 and it gets my vote. I don't buy into all this "growing the game on the BBC" A lot of clubs have Sky subscriptions and we are already planning our own par 3 comp to tie in with the coverage of the event in the evening and running a pick the pro in aid of the captains charity. If people want to take up golf does anyone really think having (or not having) access to the Masters makes that much difference? If so show me the facts

I took up golf due to BBC Masters coverage. My parents don't play golf so never would have seen it were it not for the Beeb.

How is your par 3 comp at your private club growing the game? The fact your club has a sky subscription makes no difference either, everyone there is already a golfer.

Don't get me wrong, I think sky coverage is miles better than BBC, it's just a shame the golf audience has been restricted.

 

[Marshy77]

What I always find strange, is most people would tend to agree that growing the game, is easier done if you target middle aged or older adults.

So I would say normal TV services are important in getting it out there, due to the number of older people watching TV and a larger number of viewers.

I know plenty of households without sky or do not watch streamed services on their TV for the adults (yeah much less so for children due to mobile technology).

Its about 10-15 years to early to say normal TV is 'dead' or unimportant to getting golf out there due to older people.

I would bet a pound that when golf was shown on TV (with larger viewing numbers) and this would still be applicable due to the larger viewing figures, more Nomads played the game around those dates on a green fee basis, certainly what I have heard in the past from the nomads I know. Just like when Wimbledon is on, its about the only time you see people using the tennis courts in public parks, same effect with golf, more green fees to the clubs at the bottom of the ladder.

I don't disagree about children, are the future of the game and need to play the game at as early age as possible, in the hope that they return to the game either as a nomad or member later in life.

Surely to grow the game you need to attract a younger audience? It may be that even though the younger audience won't watch a full days live golf on Sky etc they will find it other ways through the app, youtube, podcasts, vlogs and mainly social media. BBC are way behind in terms of technology.

 

[sunshine]

But still has to bid for certain events. The point is they've not really had any true interest in golf for a while (selling up their Open rights early) and the fact is it is the R&A that are the real winners as they must be on a cut of the TV revenue. It is this money I want to see re-invested back in developing and growing the game

You're right that the BBC has not had any true interest in golf for a while. Time to put the coverage out of its misery.

The BBC coverage, spear-headed by Alliss, is aimed at 60+ age bracket, golf fans who were too tight to pay for sky. It was doing nothing to attract new people to the game, in particular children. A shame really, as the corporation has the reach, just not the desire when it comes to golf (and I understand why).

 

[Deleted member 18588]

But still has to bid for certain events. The point is they've not really had any true interest in golf for a while (selling up their Open rights early) and the fact is it is the R&A that are the real winners as they must be on a cut of the TV revenue. It is this money I want to see re-invested back in developing and growing the game

Why would the R&A be particular winners?

They own the rights to the Open but not the Masters or any of the events on either Tour.

Similar to football where the Premier League own their rights and not the FA.

 

[TheJezster]

Not good for growing the game to the folk who havent got Sky.

I'm sure the 3 people who haven't got Sky will be just fine... ;-)