Sky Sports has retained the exclusive rights to the Ryder Cup and DP World Tour in the UK and Ireland as part of a four-year extension.
Key details:
- New deal to begin in 2026 and run until the end of 2029
- Sky Sports retains exclusive rights to the 2027 and 2029 Ryder Cups
- Pay-TV network to continue broadcasting DP World Tour tournaments, with 2026 season to feature events in 25 countries
Context:
Sky’s previous deal with the DP World Tour was signed in 2022 and was set to expire at the end of this year. The broadcaster holds the UK rights to all four men’s golf majors and all five women’s majors each year, and also shows the PGA Tour.
The renewal comes after this year’s Ryder Cup drew record viewership for Sky, which attracted five million viewers for its coverage across the three-day event. The network said one in four television viewers were watching the end of the final day’s action, with more than 40 per cent of the audiences aged 35 and under.
The UK rights extension with Sky caps off a busy week for the DP World Tour, which this week extended its title sponsorship with DP World and landed a major technology partnership with Amazon Web Services (AWS).
Comment:
“Extending our long-standing partnership with the DP World Tour comes at a time when golf viewership is reaching record heights,” said Jonathan Licht, chief sports officer for Sky. “This year’s Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black once again proved why it remains one of the most compelling events in world sport and we look forward to bringing fans the next two.”
“As golf’s global tour, the DP World Tour’s unparalleled diversity of locations and players is really resonating with fans, with an increased viewership on Sky Sports this season and increased spectator numbers at our events,” added Guy Kinnings, chief executive of the DP World Tour.
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