One of the world’s largest Sports Television Broadcasters announced that it owns the exclusive live broadcasting rights for the Masters Golf Tournament. Sky Sports will provide United Kingdom viewers with their live broadcasts going forward, and the BBC will lose all rights to showcase any live golf. This marks the first change in broadcasters since 1995, with the deal beginning for Sky Sports in 2020.
The Managing Director of Sky Sports spoke with reporters after the public announcement. He noted that the Masters Golf Tournament has been a staple of excitement for fans of gold and had multiple unforgettable moments. This year alone, Tiger Woods has returned unexpectedly. This has Rob Webster excited to broadcast one of the most iconic sporting events worldwide. Before closing up his comments, he mentioned that Sky Sports is proud of their association with the Augusta National and that fans can expect his team to do a great job in sharing the masters with the United Kingdom.
It’s anticipated that the 2020 Masters Golf Tournament will be the most-watched in a decade, with Tiger Woods stapled to win another championship title. Last year marked the first time he earned a Masters Tournament in eleven years. Tiger brings more action and excitement to golf than anybody else, which could’ve prompted Sky Sports decision to go for this broadcasting acquisition. This agreement between the Masters Golf Tournament and Sky Sports will last five years, with contract renewal open.
The Keeneland Acquisition
Another major acquisition for Sky Sports was Keeneland. The broadcasting company acquired the rights to broadcast the Keeneland Racing Series for Irish and British Viewers. It wasn’t expected that Sky Sports would acquire more broadcasting rights for new sporting leagues until late 2020 after the Keeneland Acquisition. However, after the BBC have had low viewership for the Masters Golf Tournament for three years running, it isn’t shocking that Sky Sports received the public domain broadcasting rights.
James Singer, the Horse Racing Director for International and Domestic Media at Sky Sports, spoke on the Keeneland Acquisition. He noted that this horse racing league has become a leader in the industry and always reaches the benchmark with every race. James mentioned that Sky Sports was delighted to enter this new partnership and promises fans that they would receive the best coverage possible for the 32 Stake Races held at Keeneland Raceway. Fans of horseracing can anticipate the Breeders Cup in 2020 at this raceway.
