BBC Sport and the European Tour have signed a new five-year agreement, ensuring that BBC golf coverage will continue across BBC1, BBC2, BBC Radio Five Live and BBCi until 2008.
The agreement includes extensive daily highlights of The Ryder Cup and live coverage of four European Tour events - the Volvo PGA Championship at Wentworth Club, The Barclays Scottish Open at Loch Lomond, the HSBC World Matchplay Championship and the replacement tournament for the Benson & Hedges International Open.
The European Tour portfolio of events continues to compliment the BBC’’s existing coverage of the Open Championship and the Masters Tournament as well as The Walker Cup, The Women's Open and the 2003 Seve Trophy.
In a separate radio agreement BBC Radio Five Live retains its exclusive on-course commentary rights for The Ryder Cup.
Dominic Coles, BBC Director of Sports Right and Finance said: “We are delighted to continue the long-standing relationship between BBC Sport and European golf which has served viewers and all levels of the sport so well. Furthermore, retaining terrestrial exclusivity over the Ryder Cup for the rest of the decade is a major coup and will bring millions of golf fans all the excitement and the drama of the event.”
Ken Schofield, Executive Director of The European Tour said: “The commitment made by BBC Television to golf from the very start has been quite outstanding and we are delighted that this new contract will take our partnership well into a fourth decade.”
The final rounds of the Volvo PGA Championship from Wentworth Club can be seen exclusively on the BBC this weekend.
