The PGA Tour is reportedly staying put with its current broadcast partners through the end of the next decade.
Sports Business Daily reported Monday that the PGA Tour is close to extending its current media rights deals with CBS, NBC and Golf Channel through 2030, with the networks combining to pay an estimated $700 million per year — up 60% from the current fee of $400 million.
The new deal is not expected to be announced until after the new year, as digital rights are still being negotiated. According to the report, ESPN and Discovery are in the mix for those rights, currently held by NBC Sports.
A number of challengers had kicked the tires on PGA Tour rights, most notably AT&T, which was willing to refashion one of its lesser cable networks (TruTV or Headline News) into a new golf-focused channel. Per SBD, AT&T was never truly in the mix. Fox Sports and ESPN were also said to be interested in the rights, though never to any great extent.
While the networks will stay the same, there will be one small change to the PGA Tour’s TV presentation. Under the new agreement, CBS and NBC will alternate televising the entire FedEx Cup each year. Currently, CBS airs the opening tournament and NBC the remaining events.
[News from Sports Business Daily 12.16]
