The Open 2016 - TV Coverage

[Pin-seeker]

It seems there's plenty of people who just like to moan about everything!!

Why not sit back and enjoy the golf that was produced instead of complaining about who was Co commentating or the adverts or any of the other feeble reasons people have used to complain.

Imagine having to sit round a wireless listening to crackling commentary that sounded like it was coming from the other side of the world?

Sky produced a much better show over the week than the BBC have ever done and that's a fact.

Agreed,whilst sat watching the masterclass put on by Stenson & Mickleson on Sunday I honestly couldn't have cared less about viewing figures or the poor soles that apparently cant afford broadband & a cheap tablet to watch it on.

 

[patricks148]

Everyone in the UK now has access to a minimum internet speed of 2 mb/s (or can apply for a grant to improve their speed to this level). This is easily enough to live stream a standard def picture - so can people (person) please stop spouting the myth over and over again that millions dont have access to good enough internet? Just because you say it over and over again doesn't make it true...

Not a chance up here, the Hampsters can't run that fast

 

[Robobum]

That it was 2 absolute legends of the game, rather than two very good players. That they provided that level of golf over 36 holes, rather than the 18 holes of today. That Jack Nicklaus managed on the last hole to make Tom Watson's short putt essential to avoid a play off, rather than the luxury of the three putts Stenson could have taken. And that they did it with wooden headed drivers, steel shafts, butter knives and balls that, if they were lucky were almost round, rather than the much more forgiving equipment of today.

Jack knows best 😉

I was fortunate to watch every second of today’s final round of the Open Championship, and I thought it was fantastic. Phil Mickelson played one of the best rounds I have ever seen played in the Open and Henrik Stenson just played better—he played one of the greatest rounds I have ever seen. Phil certainly has nothing to be ashamed of because he played wonderfully. Henrik played well from beginning to end. He drove the ball well; his iron game was great; his short game was wonderful; and his putting was great. Henrik was simply terrific. To win your first major championship is something special in and of itself, but to do it in the fashion Henrik did it in, makes for something very special and incredibly memorable. I'm proud of and happy for Henrik. Some in the media have already tried to compare today’s final round to 1977 at Turnberry, with Tom Watson and me in what they called the “duel in the sun.” I thought we played great and had a wonderful match. On that day, Tom got me, 65-66. Our final round was really good, but theirs was even better. What a great match today.

 

[Blue in Munich]

Paul, I can't copy all of what you put in because of the format, but I'm sorry, to suggest that Nicklaus wasn't a legend at the time of the Duel In The Sun I cannot let pass mate; he had 14 majors in his back pocket at that stage, I might have to concede Watson but he already had 2, so the Majors count at the time was 16 - 5 in favour of the old boys.

I never suggested that it was handed to Stenson on a plate; I said he had the relative luxury of 3 putts rather than a sudden death putt that Watson did.

And Watson did shoot the lowest score in the 3rd & 4th rounds in 1977. Granted, not the lowest of all time, but part of that, in my opinion, is down to the equipment; I take it you didn't have the pleasure of growing up trying to hit bladed one irons?

Paul, I'm not in any way suggesting that it wasn't either great golf or great entertainment, but for mine, the original still beats it.

Answers above, only time will tell if it is seen as bigger or not than the Duel in The Sun, but to single out one commentator because he works for Sky when many are agreeing is unfair.

I didn't single out Mark Roe, he did that himself; at the time of my post the other two commentators I was watching said it brought to mind the Duel In The Sun, only Roe claimed it eclipsed it.

Nostalgia then.

Give it 30years and a catchy title and yesterday's will be right up there too.

Or having considered both, a different point of view.

Duel in the sun was 1975 (?) and so almost a generation ago and many won't have seen it. That was over the final round where this time around the protagonists slugged it toe to toe for two rounds. Simply put, that puts it right up there with original duel in my opinion and will go down as one of the true classic Open's

Right up there with Chelsea's chances in the Champions League next season there Homer; Nicklaus and Watson played the last 36 holes in each other's company too.

Jack Nicklaus has said much the same, but what would he know?

And when has Jack Nicklaus ever talked down anything or anyone in golf in order to enhance his own reputation? He knows his place in history is assured and he has nothing to lose by being magnanimous. I'd expect nothing less from him.

 

[Deleted member 16999]

People don't tend to become legends until they've retired, but totally agree with the rest. It's good to have the comparison now between the 2, the one hour programme on the Duel in The Sun is superb and if they do the same job when they make this years film it will be 2 greats to watch,

 

[User62651]

Duel in the Sun was undoubtedly great golf but it's now viewed with typical rose-tinted spectacles imo, every generation hangs onto their sporting champions as better than any other era, its just human nature. In my view yesterdays fare was every bit as good if not better than 77. Weather was way tougher for a start. As for equipment advantages courses were way shorter back then to compensate for that.

Interesting stat - in 1988 Seve won the Open with a great 65 last round, he got £80,000 prize, the equivalent sum by inflation for that £80k today is £203,000 yet Stenson just collected £1,175,000. That's how much money in golf has increased in real terms, around 500%. Golfers are overpaid and joe public has to foot the bill through pay tv and exorbitant gate prices. Not good..........unless you're one of the golfers!

 

[TheDiablo]

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-s...ds-than-mount-everest-base-camp-a6912176.html

Rwally ? Everyone ?

Sorry but that's false there are plenty areas around the UK that can't get 2mg

And just because it's available doesn't mean that people actually have it - costs aren't the cheapest

Apology accepted. And Yes, really. 4 places in the whole country if you've read it!!

Everyone has access to it, and if you don't you can apply for a grant. Dispute facts if you must. And if you can afford a phone line, there's plenty of deals to be had for free and fast broadband. As a master Googler I'm sure you can find one. So stop peddling lies over and over to somehow make them true

 

[richart]

Paul, I can't copy all of what you put in because of the format, but I'm sorry, to suggest that Nicklaus wasn't a legend at the time of the Duel In The Sun I cannot let pass mate; he had 14 majors in his back pocket at that stage, I might have to concede Watson but he already had 2, so the Majors count at the time was 16 - 5 in favour of the old boys.

I never suggested that it was handed to Stenson on a plate; I said he had the relative luxury of 3 putts rather than a sudden death putt that Watson did.

And Watson did shoot the lowest score in the 3rd & 4th rounds in 1977. Granted, not the lowest of all time, but part of that, in my opinion, is down to the equipment; I take it you didn't have the pleasure of growing up trying to hit bladed one irons?

Paul, I'm not in any way suggesting that it wasn't either great golf or great entertainment, but for mine, the original still beats it.



I didn't single out Mark Roe, he did that himself; at the time of my post the other two commentators I was watching said it brought to mind the Duel In The Sun, only Roe claimed it eclipsed it.



Or having considered both, a different point of view.



Right up there with Chelsea's chances in the Champions League next season there Homer; Nicklaus and Watson played the last 36 holes in each other's company too.



And when has Jack Nicklaus ever talked down anything or anyone in golf in order to enhance his own reputation? He knows his place in history is assured and he has nothing to lose by being magnanimous. I'd expect nothing less from him.

Just watched the duel in the sun (again) on Sky. It was fantastic golf, with both players shooting the same first three rounds. 68, 70, 65. Watson pipped Nicklaus buy a shot shooting 65 to 66. the par was 70, so five under and four under final rounds. Watson was 12 under, Nicklaus 11 under and only Hubert Green at one under broke par over the Championship.

The golf was great but not up to the standard of Henrik and Phil yesterday in my mind. 8 under and 6 under on the final day was incredible golf. 20 under and 17 under, when third place was 6 under.

What made the duel in the sun perhaps more gripping to me though, was that Nicklaus was the best golfer in the world, and Watson was the best links player. The best two golfers fighting it out head to head over 36 holes.

 

[pokerjoke]

I watched the first 2 days all 15 hours or so on a streaming site for nothing albeit I had to refresh it a few times.
I watched the last 2 days on the BBC highlights and remember a statement from Peter Alliss as they were walking up the 18th getting their applause where he said "finally they are coming to life" at the crowd.
It was a truly great final round by Phil and Henrik unfortunately watched by very few and every day the stands where empty.
Wether the tickets were too pricey or that it was in Scotland who knows but as a spectator sport that was disappointing for a major.

I suspect the BBC ditched it to save money and imo Sky are very good at what they do for a number of sports.

It would be interesting to see viewing figures for MOTD,Wimbledon,The Open and that will probably tell us why the BBC don't care about golf.

 

[Val]

I only saw bits and pieces of day 1 and 2 and a little of day 3 but I can say on the final day almost every stand including the one at the range was jammed full as the top 25 started to take the course. We followed McIlroy for a bit and then started to wander and every stand was full, you couldn't get near the stands at 7 and 8 and many had queues

Sunday was very well attended IMO

 

[pokerjoke]

I only saw bits and pieces of day 1 and 2 and a little of day 3 but I can say on the final day almost every stand including the one at the range was jammed full as the top 25 started to take the course. We followed McIlroy for a bit and then started to wander and every stand was full, you couldn't get near the stands at 7 and 8 and many had queues

Sunday was very well attended IMO

Sunday better but overall mate very poor attendance which obviously effects the atmosphere

 

[MikeH]

Do you think golf could find a home on ITV or Channel 4/5 or are the R&A very much BBC or nothing when it comes to terrestrial rights

i can't say for sure but I'd think any free to air broadcaster who could match sky £ AND commit to the sort of number of hours of broadcasting and whizzy stuff Sky offered would have a very solid bid

The way golf is covered is important to the R&A - Peter Dawson sent a massive warning shot across the BBCs bows back in 2012 at the Lytham Open media day when he said BBC weren't up to scratch and they might look elsewhere when rights were next up (I paraphrase obi) but for those who want to have a look at how it was reported http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/go...-lose-the-Open-unless-it-shows-more-golf.html

 

[MikeH]

It is a shame as people like me came to the sport from seeing it live on telly, as no one in my family played golf but now my wife and son do and I fancied it after seeing it on bbc in my late twenties. At that time if it had been on sky, I would never have watched it and therefore never have come to the sport.

Hi Darren, I dont know how old you are but if you've got kids then I'm guessing 30s at least…

I'm also assuming that when you say seeing the Open on BBC inspired you to take up the game that terrestrial TV was the ONLY way to watch (even engage) with the Open if you didn't go an watch it in the flesh...

There wasn't social media showing you free live clips, there wasn't the option to open source stream live footage via a kodi stick or similar whatnot, Rick Shiels and Peter Finch weren't putting up videos on YouTube from the Open and the official Open website wasn't showing you free live footage every day.

There are now all of those, and more, and that's how an awful lot of people, especially youngsters engage with sports content these days

Because of all the myriad of ways there are to watch/engage with the Open these days, the view that say that because the BBC doesn't show live golf anymore youngsters wont get to see the action from the Open and therefore won't take up the game holds little or no water in my view

 

[Beezerk]

Hi Darren, I dont know how old you are but if you've got kids then I'm guessing 30s at least…

I'm also assuming that when you say seeing the Open on BBC inspired you to take up the game that terrestrial TV was the ONLY way to watch (even engage) with the Open if you didn't go an watch it in the flesh...

There wasn't social media showing you free live clips, there wasn't the option to open source stream live footage via a kodi stick or similar whatnot, Rick Shiels and Peter Finch weren't putting up videos on YouTube from the Open and the official Open website wasn't showing you free live footage every day.

There are now all of those, and more, and that's how an awful lot of people, especially youngsters engage with sports content these days

Because of all the myriad of ways there are to watch/engage with the Open these days, the view that say that because the BBC doesn't show live golf anymore youngsters wont get to see the action from the Open and therefore won't take up the game holds little or no water in my view

That's true Mike all those things are available but I'd say they no way near as inspiring as seeing Sevy, Faldo etc etc win live on the Beeb back in the day.
YouTube vids are 10 a penny now and quite frankly most are forgettable.

 

[GB72]

i can't say for sure but I'd think any free to air broadcaster who could match sky £ AND commit to the sort of number of hours of broadcasting and whizzy stuff Sky offered would have a very solid bid

The way golf is covered is important to the R&A - Peter Dawson sent a massive warning shot across the BBCs bows back in 2012 at the Lytham Open media day when he said BBC weren't up to scratch and they might look elsewhere when rights were next up (I paraphrase obi) but for those who want to have a look at how it was reported http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/go...-lose-the-Open-unless-it-shows-more-golf.html

Channel 4 did great things modernising cricket coverage and so I would be intrigued to see what they could do with golf

 

[Deleted member 15344]

That's true Mike all those things are available but I'd say they no way near as inspiring as seeing Sevy, Faldo etc etc win live on the Beeb back in the day.
YouTube vids are 10 a penny now and quite frankly most are forgettable.

And most of those social media feeds are already been watched and looked at by people who are already interested in golf - I don't know how the guys on Twitter and Facebook or any social media feed attract people that aren't currently interested in the sport ?

I grew up watching the Open and the Matchplay and BMW with the likes of Seve and Co and I wanted to copy them - same with any sport that I saw on the telly - I know the Open was advertised on BBC in the run up to the event in years past - I know Sky advertised on Sky but was it advertised anywhere else and the information about all the way to watch it

The reaction on Twitter/Facebook etc mirrors the divide in regards the coverage

A lot of grassroots sports has suffered in the last couple of decades - is it just coincidence that Sky started then ? Not sure because they cover sport very very well just not watched by the mass amounts - I don't know what affect it has

 

[PhilTheFragger]

Going back to attendance figures, when The Open was held at Muirfield in 2013 the attendance was 142000, 2014 Hoylake 202000, 2015 St Andrews 228000 ( but this was over 5 days with a £10 ticket on the Monday when 37000 extra people came in so take the revised figure of 191000) 2016 Troon 173000, 2011 Royal St Georges 180000.

Hoylake is the most UK central on that list and that is probably why it has the highest attendance, for me its a 3 hour drive, so very doable, Scotland is a 6 hour drive at best and is therefore more effort, you would have to go for a couple of days at least to make it worthwhile, which costs,

Likewise if I was living in Scotland, its a monster trip to Kent and Royal St Georges

Golf will attract the diehard fans, who will go anyway, many from The States and will also attract members of the public who are relatively local. If you have a lower local population, then you will have lower crowds especially as bad weather forecasts will put off the casual visitor who buys his ticket on the day

Interestingly The Scottish Open the previous week had a big fall in crowds from 65000 ish to 42000 ish blamed on the weather

 

[Val]

It was advertised everywhere, anyone with an ounce of interest in sport could have found adverts on google ads anytime they surfed. Any sky channel the happened to watch and I've spotted also billboards advertising it.

Phil, you're flogging a dead horse. You don't like the idea sky have it and we all get that but that doesn't change facts as follows

1- Sky did a great job
2- You didn't need a monthly subscription to watch it
3- it was well advertised
4- Sky will better their coverage next year at Royal Birkdale.

Sky won't stand still in trying to be better unlike the BBC who it appeared couldnt wait to get rid of golf from our screens.

Kids nowadays are buried in social media and the open coverage was all over social media, you could t miss it.

 

[Val]

Going back to attendance figures, when The Open was held at Muirfield in 2013 the attendance was 142000, 2014 Hoylake 202000, 2015 St Andrews 228000 ( but this was over 5 days with a £10 ticket on the Monday when 37000 extra people came in so take the revised figure of 191000) 2016 Troon 173000, 2011 Royal St Georges 180000.

Hoylake is the most UK central on that list and that is probably why it has the highest attendance, for me its a 3 hour drive, so very doable, Scotland is a 6 hour drive at best and is therefore more effort, you would have to go for a couple of days at least to make it worthwhile, which costs,

Likewise if I was living in Scotland, its a monster trip to Kent and Royal St Georges

Golf will attract the diehard fans, who will go anyway, many from The States and will also attract members of the public who are relatively local. If you have a lower local population, then you will have lower crowds especially as bad weather forecasts will put off the casual visitor who buys his ticket on the day

Interestingly The Scottish Open the previous week had a big fall in crowds from 65000 ish to 42000 ish blamed on the weather

I fancy Royal Birkdale may better Hoylakes figures next year.

The Scottish Open figures fell because it was in Inverness, it's miles away for even the majority of the Scottish population

 

[HomerJSimpson]

It was advertised everywhere, anyone with an ounce of interest in sport could have found adverts on google ads anytime they surfed. Any sky channel the happened to watch and I've spotted also billboards advertising it.

Phil, you're flogging a dead horse. You don't like the idea sky have it and we all get that but that doesn't change facts as follows

1- Sky did a great job
2- You didn't need a monthly subscription to watch it
3- it was well advertised
4- Sky will better their coverage next year at Royal Birkdale.

Sky won't stand still in trying to be better unlike the BBC who it appeared couldnt wait to get rid of golf from our screens.

Kids nowadays are buried in social media and the open coverage was all over social media, you could t miss it.

Good points well made. Sky will learn from the feedback they've received, positive and negative and strive to improve next time. It was hardly a secretive thing and was on main stream news features building up to the event and all over social media. Most people have some degree of social media accessibility and with the host of viewing options, if anyone wanted to see it they could.