BBC may lose The Open

Kevinmarkham

The thought of the Open Championship only being shown on Sky fills me with utter dread... the appalling, inane commentary, the endless ad breaks, the painful attempts at humour, the sycophantic drivel...

Come 2016, the world may as well end.

belfast telegraph article

charlieIRL

OHH NO!! Couldn't handle that but then again it would be sky coverage and not depending on the golf channel etc for live feeds.

Jul3s

Christ almighty is nothing sacrosanct anymore, Sky have ruined the viewing experience of everything they currently control so they may as well take the Open and f#@k that up as well.

TheDoc

Jul3s wrote: »

Christ almighty is nothing sacrosanct anymore, Sky have ruined the viewing experience of everything they currently control so they may as well take the Open and f#@k that up as well.

I'd disagree

Sky have pretty much improved every game they have main coverage off.

While the commentry might not be to everyone's taste, their coverage and content is second to none, along with their stats team and ****

You only have to compare golf on the BBC and sky to see how Sky is vaslty superior with their ball tracking and clarity.

cgpg5

For no ad breaks alone BBC is better. I don't even have sky so this will be annoying tbh always loved watching the open on BBc

padd b1975

Is it not part of the "crown jewels" that can only be shown free to air?

TheDoc

cgpg5 wrote: »

For no ad breaks alone BBC is better. I don't even have sky so this will be annoying tbh always loved watching the open on BBc

Actually forgot alot of people don't have Sky : /

Dont know what mods takes on streams are so wont mention specifics

Jul3s

TheDoc wrote: »

I'd disagree

Sky have pretty much improved every game they have main coverage off.

While the commentry might not be to everyone's taste, their coverage and content is second to none, along with their stats team and ****

You only have to compare golf on the BBC and sky to see how Sky is vaslty superior with their ball tracking and clarity.

Yea obv you would.
Personally I'm not a fan of inane drivel and ads every 2 minutes, but there you go some people like that, perhaps most people don't know any better, because it's all they have grown up with, horses for courses I guess.

the anser

While we all remember the halcyon days of BBC golf their recent efforts have been appalling- reduced coverage of other events and washed up cricketers/footballers getting their facts arseways........move to sky inevitable.

AGC

TheDoc wrote: »

I'd disagree

Sky have pretty much improved every game they have main coverage off.

While the commentry might not be to everyone's taste, their coverage and content is second to none, along with their stats team and ****

You only have to compare golf on the BBC and sky to see how Sky is vaslty superior with their ball tracking and clarity.

Agree to an extent. BBC have the Open so their own cameras which means they show endless coverage which is good.

When BBC had the Masters they were getting it from American networks so anytime they took a break BBC would show 'Ken on the course' or a load of daffodils growing. At least Sky have good analysis with Monty, Nicklaus, Harmon etc...

n2o

the anser wrote: »

While we all remember the halcyon days of BBC golf their recent efforts have been appalling- reduced coverage of other events and washed up cricketers/footballers getting their facts arseways........move to sky inevitable.

Michael Vaughan was pretty awful. Don't understand why they had a cricketer interviewing golfers.

dnjoyce

AGC wrote: »

Agree to an extent. BBC have the Open so their own cameras which means they show endless coverage which is good.

When BBC had the Masters they were getting it from American networks so anytime they took a break BBC would show 'Ken on the course' or a load of daffodils growing. At least Sky have good analysis with Monty, Nicklaus, Harmon etc...

I agree, this isn't the disaster it might have been a few years ago. BBC are not committing the resources to their golf coverage any more and the use of Michael Vaughan as interviewer during the masters was unforgiveable! The BBC commentators are much better IMO (and I actually like Ken on the course!) but sky's coverage of the Master's was pretty decent once the live golf actually started.

k.p.h

F@@k New Corporation and everything associated, nothing but a shower of money hungry,lying, thieving pricks.

If they get their hands on something that I want to see you can be sure I won't be paying a penny for it.

That company stands for nothing but bad things and if the R&A want's to gt involved with them so be it, but I won't be supporting them.

Osgoodisgood

AGC wrote: »

Agree to an extent. BBC have the Open so their own cameras which means they show endless coverage which is good.

When BBC had the Masters they were getting it from American networks so anytime they took a break BBC would show 'Ken on the course' or a load of daffodils growing. At least Sky have good analysis with Monty, Nicklaus, Harmon etc...

ummm........................... seriously?

charlieIRL

TheDoc wrote: »

Actually forgot alot of people don't have Sky : /

Dont know what mods takes on streams are so wont mention specifics

Live streams, unless from an official site, are a big no-no.

BackScrub

dnjoyce wrote: »

...but sky's coverage of the Master's was pretty decent once the live golf actually started.

Only because Augusta dictate to broadcasters ad duration per hour.

That said, Sky are showing F1 races without ad breaks so maybe they might cut down on ad breaks for The Open too. if they show all-day coverage like The BBC did, then I could cope with the move.

My biggest issue is having to listen to Robert Lee, Mark Roe, Andrew Coltart and Monty talking scuther 10 hours a day for 4 days. However, I can't tolerate the scuther from Wayne Riley, Sam Torrance and Andrew Cotter either. "He played it beautifully" is still bouncing round my head from last year, I never want to hear it again.

Sky will do a good job covering it, their production values are second to none. It's a pain for the non-Sky subscribers but that's the world we live in I guess. As long as I'm still alive in 2016 to watch it, I'll be happy. I'm off to bet on Shane Lowry now for it.

Keano

For anyone who loves to watch golf without Sky we'd see very little of it on TV. Yes the lack of breaks on BBC is great but they show so little golf as it is I'd not be overly disappointed if they were unable to show it. However that's still 4 years away and I reckon they have been given a little wake up call and should heed it.

foxyboxer

The writing was on the wall for BBC's coverage of the Masters a few years back when Gary Lineker was interviewing Boris Becker during a break in coverage.

People who would not necessarily watch Golf on a weekly basis would watch the Open coverage. Personally, I wouldn't watch Snooker, Tennis or Rugby on a weekly basis but I'd always watch the World Championships at the Crucible, Wimbledon and the Six Nations every year. If this happens, then the general non-subscribing public wouldn't get to see any Golf at all on terrestrial TV.

PS, I'll just leave this here for posterity

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-bd5j18N0s

acejeff

Watching golf on Sky is like a "Golf for Dummies" book - MArk Roe and his stupid big virtual screen with all the gimmicks and gags, spelling out in every detail (what to the average golf fan is blindingly obvious). BBC assume that you have some sort of golfing knowledge if you are switched into their coverage. Ken on the course is fantastic, very insightful. I dread the Open switching to Sky - say it ain't so. What's next - Ivor Robson to retire as starter!!??

foxyboxer

acejeff wrote: »

Watching golf on Sky is like a "Golf for Dummies" book - MArk Roe and his stupid big virtual screen with all the gimmicks and gags, spelling out in every detail (what to the average golf fan is blindingly obvious). BBC assume that you have some sort of golfing knowledge if you are switched into their coverage. Ken on the course is fantastic, very insightful. I dread the Open switching to Sky - say it ain't so. What's next - Ivor Robson to retire as starter!!??

"What he'll want to play here is a draw...which is a shot that starts to the right and curves to the left for a right handed player"

AGC

Osgoodisgood wrote: »

ummm........................... seriously?

Yeah, think he is good. he did a piece the week before on every hole at Augusta and it was superb

soundsham

Holy flat screen batman !!
Due to global warming , austerity measures and the possible influx of the Sahara killer mosquito thats on the way in 2015 it may be played in the US .....
I'm packing up and leaving now before the mass hysteria really unfolds

Who's with me ??

AldilaMan

AGC wrote: »

Yeah, think he is good. he did a piece the week before on every hole at Augusta and it was superb

And how often did he repeat himself

"I mean to say, I mean to say" :mad:

Osgoodisgood

AGC wrote: »

Yeah, think he is good. he did a piece the week before on every hole at Augusta and it was superb

When he does that thing where he closes his eyes and blathers on about "his" Ryder Cup team he makes me want to invent teleportation just so I could beam over and crack his pompous skull.

Jimmy Iovine

The only option then is to go to the Open. Fly to Manchester or Liverpool. Stay there for the weekend and get a train up every day to Lytham. You can buy the tickets on the door. Couldn't be easier. The flights are cheap enough if you book them now.

It's so much better than watching it on the tele. You won't have to put up with Monty if it changes to Sky. Tune in your handheld radio and Bob Bubka's your uncle.

stringy

I think Sky should poach Ken Brown, his little pieces at the Masters were hilarious, the way he takes a ball, throws it down and watches it go, THEN the best ever he whips a banana out of his pocket to explain the preferable draw/fade shot - tv gold.

Jimmy Iovine

stringy wrote: »

I think Sky should poach Ken Brown, his little pieces at the Masters were hilarious, the way he takes a ball, throws it down and watches it go, THEN the best ever he whips a banana out of his pocket to explain the preferable draw/fade shot - tv gold.

There was one he did 2 years ago I think where he kicked a basketball down the 13th fairway. He did it to show the slope on the fairway. Sometimes you can't see it from home. It was pure genius really because it was evident pretty quickly just how steep the slope was.

There used to be a video of it on the internet but it's well gone now. Pity really because it is deserving of Youtube fame.

foxyboxer

stringy wrote: »

I think Sky should poach Ken Brown, his little pieces at the Masters were hilarious, the way he takes a ball, throws it down and watches it go, THEN the best ever he whips a banana out of his pocket to explain the preferable draw/fade shot - tv gold.

I'd say Ken is not only smelling the azaleas but smoking them too!

Jul3s

stringy wrote: »

I think Sky should poach Ken Brown, his little pieces at the Masters were hilarious, the way he takes a ball, throws it down and watches it go, THEN the best ever he whips a banana out of his pocket to explain the preferable draw/fade shot - tv gold.

+1
Ken Brown is a legend, he doesn't take himself too seriously and that's his appeal.

staker

Osgoodisgood wrote: »

ummm........................... seriously?

uuuuuuuuuummmmmmmmmm,ummmmmmm, he's ****e!

kincsem

I love The Open on BBC. It is the best golf tournament in The Isles. Ffs. When I was working I took two days leave on the Thursday and Friday just so I could watch Ken Brown examining the rough and stuff like that. All day coverage was great.

I even liked the last Open at Lytham when I had 50 @ 66 and 50 @100 on Niclas Fasth who led in the clubhouse for hours until Duval shot 67 and did him.

I don't have Sky.

kincsem

acejeff wrote: »

What's next - Ivor Robson to retire as starter!!??

I agree with everything you said. And then the added delights of BBC's lengthy discussion of Ivor's bathroom arrangements.

Speak Now

I think i recall seeng a list before with group A and B listed sports events.
Group A had to be shown live on free to air while group B only had to show highlights.

From memory The Open was only in group B :mad: along with Ryder cup.

I think the whole list is up for review next year due to the digital switchover.

I am a sky sports subscriber for golf alone but i do find the BBC coverage a breath of fresh air and hope The Open remains with them.

Johnny_Fontane

I watch sky all the time for golf, thought I would be switching over to bbc for the masters, but found the bbc very annoying, dunno what it was.....its weird I just felt more 'comfortable' on sky.

just my two cents.

saintastic

Obviously everyone would prefer the BBC to have the Open.

But the reason the R&A are talking about moving it away from the BBC is that the BBC are reducing the number of hours that they are showing golf on an ongoing basis.

As the article below mentions, "this year, the BBC will cover just six days of live men’s professional golf. As recently as seven years ago it offered 24 days of live action."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/golf/theopen/9221230/BBC-could-lose-the-Open-unless-it-shows-more-golf.html

Also, in fairness to Sky, there is no questioning their committment to golf showing all the European Tour events every week.