R&A CEO Martin Slumbers took "a swipe" at the BBC by criticizing "tired and outdated" golf coverage by the channel, according to Ewan Murray of the London GUARDIAN. Slumbers’ comments are "especially pertinent" with the final major of the year, the U.S. PGA Championship, reverting to the corporation for live U.K. coverage after the PGA of America "opted not to renew a deal with Sky Sports." This year’s Open Championship will be the second to be shown live on Sky. The '16 tournament at Royal Troon "suffered a huge decline" in TV audience, including 75% on the previous year’s final round, "which to many vindicated criticism of the R&A for taking the Open away from the BBC." Slumbers was "pointed with his words despite not usually being known for caustic or controversial comment." He said, "We're not uncomfortable at all. In fact, we are very happy with our partnerships. I think when we moved last year we took what was frankly a fairly tired and outdated broadcast, turned it into absolutely world class and raised the whole level of the way it was shown. ... A testament to that was that [the Open coverage] won a Bafta for sport. They were up against the BBC’s coverage of the Olympics and Paralympics, and also the Six Nations" (GUARDIAN, 7/19). In London, Rick Broadbent reported adding to the pressure on the BBC, with the "salaries of top presenters under scrutiny and allegations of a gender pay gap," Slumbers said that he was happy to be working with a partner "that really understands technology." He also "defended the reduced viewing figures" compared with the last years of the BBC’s 61-year Open reign. He said, "I don’t buy the argument around participation and reach. It is clearly good to have more reach, but The Open is a global product. It’s not just a U.K. product. We touched 600 million households last year. This is a global event" (LONDON TIMES, 7/19). The PA reported Sky introduced a "number of new innovations" including Sky Zone -- where players have their game analyzed -- 360-degree virtual hole graphics projected in the TV studio and a zip-wire camera at Royal Troon last year (PA, 7/19).
