Editing The Open Championship (section)

===United Kingdom===
The BBC first started to broadcast the Open in 1955,<ref name="guardian-skydeal"/> with [[Peter Alliss]] involved since 1961, and having the role of lead commentator since 1978.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://golf.about.com/od/golfersmen/p/peter-alliss.htm |title=Peter Alliss – Biography of Golfer and Broadcaster Peter Alliss |publisher=Golf.about.com |first=Brent |last=Kelley |access-date=29 December 2012 |archive-date=18 November 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121118020726/http://golf.about.com/od/golfersmen/p/peter-alliss.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> With the growth of [[pay television]], and the increasing value of sporting rights, the BBC's golf portfolio began to reduce. The loss of the rights to the [[Scottish Open (golf)|Scottish Open]], and [[BMW PGA Championship]] in 2012 left the BBC's only golf coverage as the Open, and the final two days of the [[Masters Tournament|Masters]] (which it shared with Sky). With so little golf, the BBC was accused of neglecting investment in production and was criticised about its 'quality of coverage and innovation' compared to [[Sky UK|Sky]], which held the rights to most golf events. The tournament is considered a Category B event under the [[Ofcom Code on Sports and Other Listed and Designated Events]], which allows its rights to be held by a pay television broadcaster as long as sufficient secondary coverage is provided by a free-to-air broadcaster.<ref name="TheCode">{{cite web|url=http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/binaries/broadcast/other-codes/ofcom_code_on_sport.pdf|title=Code on Sports and Other Listed and Designated Events|date=March 2008|publisher=Ofcom|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110125053653/http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/binaries/broadcast/other-codes/ofcom_code_on_sport.pdf|archive-date=25 January 2011|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="guardian-skydeal"/><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/golf/theopen/9221230/BBC-could-lose-the-Open-unless-it-shows-more-golf.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220111/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/golf/theopen/9221230/BBC-could-lose-the-Open-unless-it-shows-more-golf.html |archive-date=11 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=BBC could lose the Open unless it shows more golf|last=Reid|first=Alasdair|date=23 April 2012|work=The Daily Telegraph|access-date=19 January 2019}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

Many were hoping that a deal similar to the Masters would be reached, where Sky had coverage of all four days, and the BBC also provided live weekend coverage, but Sky were not keen on this and won the full rights in 2015. Some were angered about the demise of golf on terrestrial television, and the impact that could have on the interest in golf in the U.K.,<ref name="guardian-whatif">{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2015/jan/14/golf-bbc-open-championship|title=What would it mean for golf if the BBC lost the Open Championship?|last=Murray|first=Ewan|date=14 January 2015|newspaper=The Guardian|access-date=26 July 2016|archive-date=30 June 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240630140342/https://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2015/jan/14/golf-bbc-open-championship|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="guardian-couldlose">{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/jan/08/bbc-open-coverage-rights|title=BBC could lose exclusive Open coverage rights as R&A ponders new deal|date=8 January 2015|newspaper=The Guardian|access-date=26 July 2016|archive-date=30 June 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240630140343/https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/jan/08/bbc-open-coverage-rights|url-status=live}}</ref> whilst others were pleased about the perceived improved coverage that Sky would give.<ref name="UKbroadcast">{{Cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/golf/theopen/11386938/BBC-loses-rights-to-broadcast-The-Open-Championship-to-Sky-Sports-from-2017.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220111/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/golf/theopen/11386938/BBC-loses-rights-to-broadcast-The-Open-Championship-to-Sky-Sports-from-2017.html |archive-date=11 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=BBC loses live rights to broadcast The Open Championship to Sky Sports from 2017|last=Rumsby|first=Ben|date=3 February 2015|work=The Daily Telegraph|access-date=18 January 2019}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Despite Peter Alliss promising on air that the BBC would cover the 2016 event, the BBC reached a deal for Sky to take the coverage. The BBC still covers the tournament, showing highlights from 8pm–10pm on tournament days and radio coverage on [[Radio 5 Live]]. The deal with Sky required the broadcaster to restrict its advertisement breaks to 4 minutes every hour, similar to the Masters.<ref name="UKbroadcast" /> Sky also offers complete coverage online through [[Now (Sky)|NOW]] to non-subscribers, which is £7.99 for one day, or £12.99 for a weeks access.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nowtv.com/watch-golf-online?awc=11006_1547835013_a4d589b03de085f7001e9728d621158c&DCMP=afc-nowtv:nc_General/gen|title=Don't miss out on the drama|website=NOW TV|access-date=18 January 2019|archive-date=20 January 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190120044619/https://www.nowtv.com/watch-golf-online?awc=11006_1547835013_a4d589b03de085f7001e9728d621158c&DCMP=afc-nowtv:nc_General/gen|url-status=live}}</ref>

====Timeline of U.K. broadcasting rights====
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" style="font-size:95%"
! scope="col" |Period
!Broadcaster
!Rights fee per annum
|-
|1955–2014
| rowspan="2" |[[BBC]]
|Varies
|-
|2015
|£7.0m
|-
|2016{{efn|name=BBCsold|BBC sold the rights to Sky for £7.0m}}
| rowspan="3" |[[Sky Sports]]
|£7.0m{{efn|name=BBCsold}}
|-
|2017–2021
|£15.0m
|-
|2022–2024
|Unknown
|}
<small>Ref:<ref name="guardian-skydeal">{{cite news |title=Sky Sports wins rights to show Open Championship golf live from 2017 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/feb/03/sky-sports-buys-open-championship-golf-bbc |newspaper=The Guardian |first=Owen |last=Gibson |date=3 February 2015 |access-date=26 July 2016 |archive-date=30 June 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240630140344/https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/feb/03/sky-sports-buys-open-championship-golf-bbc |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/golf/31114083 |title=Open Championship: Sky wins rights; BBC to show highlights |date=3 February 2015 |work=BBC Sport |access-date=13 July 2016 |archive-date=16 August 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170816211526/http://www.bbc.com/sport/golf/31114083 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.golf-monthly.co.uk/tour/open-championship/open-blog/sky-or-bbc-who-covered-the-open-better-109364|title=Sky Sports Or BBC: Who Covered The Open Better?|last=Tappin|first=Neil|date=17 July 2017|work=Golf Monthly|access-date=18 January 2019|archive-date=19 January 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190119230914/https://www.golf-monthly.co.uk/tour/open-championship/open-blog/sky-or-bbc-who-covered-the-open-better-109364|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.sportspromedia.com/news/the-open-sky-sports-tv-rights-deal-2024|title=The Open renews Sky Sports TV rights deal until 2024|date=10 June 2019|work=Sports Pro|access-date=22 December 2019|archive-date=11 July 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190711060747/http://www.sportspromedia.com/news/the-open-sky-sports-tv-rights-deal-2024|url-status=live}}</ref></small>