The USGA is reportedly closing in on new deal with NBC
The USGA is reportedly closing in on new deal with NBC
It appeared earlier this year that USGA events like the US Open could be leaving NBC, but a new report indicates a reunion is likely.
As the USGA works through its latest round of broadcast rights deals, it’s beginning to appear that the golf governing body will be sticking with one longtime partner, despite an intriguing new suitor who unexpectedly entered the fray. According to John Ourand of Puck News, the USGA is “close to re-upping its rights deal with NBC” after several months of looking for a new potential ally for its rights.
Key Details:
- No spinoff worries: The new deal between USGA and NBC would see USGA events stay on USA Network.
- Netflix lurking: Ourand reports that Netflix made a “serious bid” for the rights.
- Hefty raise: NBC could pay more than twice its current rate to keep USGA events.
Per Ourand’s sources, a renewed agreement between NBC and the USGA would keep the U.S. Open and U.S. Women’s Open on the NBC broadcast channel, as well as USA Network and Golf Channel. That news comes despite the decision by NBC’s parent company, Comcast, to spin off most of its cable channels into a new company called Versant. That decision led some analysts to wonder if sports associations would be hesitant to strike deals with the newly spun-off networks.
Ourand says that terms for the new deal have been “tough to nail down,” but that USGA is likely to approach the $93 million average annual value of its deal with Fox from 2013. Fox signed the USGA to a 12-year deal in 2013, but opted out of that pact in 2020, which allowed NBC to scoop up the rights for around $40 million per year.
That means NBC could be primed to pay more than twice what it’s currently plunking down for the USGA rights, but that bonus might have been needed to lock down the rights and beat out the competition. Ourand says that Netflix made a “serious bid” for the up-for-grabs USGA rights, and that ESPN, CBS, and Warner Bros. Discovery also took a look at jumping into the fray.
There had been some thought that the USGA may try to split the rights to the package between multiple broadcast partners, but nothing in Ourand’s recent reporting suggests it followed through on that idea. Fans should never say never until the full terms of the deal are officially announced, however.
For now, at least, it appears USGA events are headed back to NBC outlets, which means they will also stream at least in part on Peacock. That streamer is extra motivated to keep as much of its live sports access as possible, since it recently raised the price on its existing tiers and launched a new, cheaper plan with no sports access.
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.