USGA broadcast rights are heading to open market
USGA broadcast rights are heading to open market
The US Golf Association has let its exclusive negotiating window with NBCUniversal expire without a deal.
NBC and Peacock may have a little less golf to offer in the coming years. NBCUniversal had been in an exclusive negotiating window with the U.S. Golf Association (USGA) until December, but that window lapsed without a new deal being made. Now, USGA rights will head to the open market, where they could draw interest from a number of streaming platforms.
Key Details:
- The USGA rights package includes the U.S. Open and more.
- The two could revive their partnership if the USGA doesn’t get more compelling offers.
- Netflix could be a logical destination for at least some USGA events.
NBCU’s current deal to offer USGA championship events expires in 2025. The two sides engaged in a 90-day exclusive negotiation period, but that expired on Dec. 31 without a new agreement being made. NBC took over broadcasting duties of USGA events from Fox starting with the 2020 U.S. Open.
In the past, the USGA’s rights package has included the U.S. Open, the U.S. Women’s Open, the U.S. Amateur, and other championship events. Sports Business Journal reports that there is speculation that the USGA might split the U.S. Opens into their own rights package to sell separately from other events.
There haven’t been many whispers about who could pair with the USGA once its deal with NBC expires. That network could still craft a new deal with the association if it doesn’t find other partners to team with, and it could also sell its rights to multiple new outlets. One possibility is for the USGA to sell the package to SpinCo, the separate company that NBC is establishing to house its cable networks, including Golf Channel.
If NBC and the USGA do not re-team, Netflix could make sense as a partner for at least some of the association’s events. Netflix is open to live sports if it feels it can make them a true viewing event worth celebrating, and golf tournaments on the scale of the U.S. Open would certainly fit that bill.
CBS and ESPN are media partners for other top golf events, and could also get into the mix for this USGA rights package if they want to expand their offerings. The package is officially up for grabs, and could have multiple suitors now that it’s on the open market.
Peacock
Peacock is a subscription video streaming service from NBCUniversal that includes original shows, blockbuster movies, and classic television series. Peacock is home to “Yellowstone,” “The Office,” and original hits like “Poker Face” and “Bel-Air.” You can also watch live sports and NBC programming, including the NFL, MLB, WWE, the Olympics, the Premier League, NASCAR, the French Open, college football and basketball, and the PGA Tour. Premium Plus subscribers can stream their local NBC feed in all 210 markets.