Sky Sports secures women’s golf

BSkyB’s Sky Sports unit has secured rights to women’s golf for a further two years after renewing a deal with the Ladies Professional Golf Association.

According to Sky, the deal offers Sky Sports viewers exclusive live coverage of three women’s Majors played in the US, plus at least four LPGA Tour events each summer. Tournaments covered include the PGA European Tour, US PGA Tour, World Golf Championship events and this September’s Ryder Cup.

Sky Sports will show the Kraft Nabisco Championship, Wegmans LPGA Championship and Evian Championship, as well as live coverage of the Swinging Skirts LPGA Classic, Kingsmill Championship, Walmart NW Arkansas Championship, CME Group Tour Championship and the HSBC Women’s Champions.

“Over the past 5-10 years, the LPGA has seen its popularity grow around the world at a rate that few could have predicted.  The secret to the LPGA’s success is that the absolute best players in the world come from all over the world to compete on this tour,” said LPGA Commissioner Michael Whan.

“With the expansion of our player base, has been the expansion of television coverage – and we now average nearly 150 countries watching the LPGA per week. I have consistently heard from fans in the UK about their desire to see more LPGA coverage on television and this new deal with Sky Sports helps to deliver that.”