The USGA’s (host of US Open) media rights deal is heading for a major shake-up — and with it, the future of golf broadcasting could change dramatically. As the US Open returns to Pebble Beach in 2027 for the 7th time in history, the USGA is exploring new broadcast and streaming partners — signaling a pivotal moment for the sport’s commercial landscape.
Currently, USGA is in the penultimate year of a $37M/year deal with NBC. Mike Whan, the USGA CEO, is open to hearing new offers ahead of 2026, Sports Business Journal reported. It’s still open to speculation about who are the potential new suitors, but USGA’s decision to test the waters makes perfect sense for two prime reasons.
Why USGA is testing the Open Market
Golf is getting increasingly popular among Americans. While Covid has added as an unlikely shot in the arm for the game, the rise of youngsters has also played its part. But more importantly, courtesy of the LIV Golf – PGA Tour divide, the US Open has become one of the only four occasions where top players go head-to-head against each other.
The @USGA is in the market for its next media deal after not reaching an agreement with NBCU during their negotiating window.
Which network/streamer gets the U.S. Open next? https://t.co/2oNrLnyIgt
— Josh Carpenter (@JoshACarpenter) March 16, 2025
Currently, the PGA Tour and LIV Golf are negotiating a deal, with some help from President Donald Trump. It would likely allow a free flow of players from one side to the other. But there is no agreed timeframe and if insider reports are to be believed some nagging issues (regarding LIV’s valuation) continue to delay the final deal.
Until that happens, majors are the only way to watch the best going against the best, and past US Open numbers do bolster the claim that disgruntled fans are inclined to watch majors more than ever.
The final round of the 2024 US Open, where Bryson DeChambeau from the LIV Golf team, Crushers GC, and best Rory McIlroy of the PGA Tour, drew 5.9M viewers across multiple platforms.
It peaked at 11.5M, the best since the 2015 US Open, according to Sport Cal. It was the highest-streamed golf event for Peacock, with a 15% year-on-year increase.
According to an analysis by Global Data, the annual sponsorship revenue for the 2024 US Open was $50.25M. Whereas, Perfect Putt reported that in 2022, USGA garnered $304M in total revenue, of which $114M came from broadcast and media rights.
Given how dramatically the broadcast and streaming landscape has changed in the last couple of years, it’s little surprise that USGA wants to explore all the options before committing to a new deal. But what is the prospect of USGA finding a lucrative deal? The media rights partnerships with PGA of America and R&A offer some hints.
Media Rights in Golf: The Current Scenario
Back in 2018, the PGA of America (not to be confused with the PGA Tour), inked an 11-year multimedia agreement with CBS and ESPN. The deal took effect in 2020, offering fans a comprehensive broadcast and streaming across ESPN, ESPN+, and CBS. Like the US Open, the PGA of America’s key source of income is the PGA Championship. In addition, they also host the Ryder Cup once every four years on home soil.
Whereas, R&A, the USGA’s counterpart across the pond, extended its media rights deal with Sky Sports in 2024. On this side of the Atlantic, NBC has been a broadcast partner for the Open Championship since 2018. SportsPro reported NBA pays an annual $50M media rights fee to R&A.
A comparison can be made to the PGA Tour as well. Although the Tour comes with a heavily loaded schedule of 30+ events, around 10-15 of them carry weight and only one (The Players) holds a value akin to a major. The Tour has multiple contracts with NBC, CBS, and ESPN that run to an astonishing $700M through 2030. In addition, there is the $2B international rights deal with Warner Bros.
Against this backdrop, USGA wanting to look for alternate options is hardly surprising. A case in point is also LIV Golf’s broadcasting partnership with USGA’s former ally, Fox. Although the financial figures were not publicly available, the fact that Fox decided to partner with LIV, despite the current fragmented audience base means, there is a lucrative opportunity in golf.
Mind also the fact that it was the first time Fox returned to golf since parting ways with USGA. In 2014, Fox signed a 12-year $1B agreement with USGA, but never quite found its place in Golf. Eventually, when the US Open was rescheduled to September 2020, Fox had to drop to prioritize college football. NBCUniversal picked up the remainder of the deal.
USGA’s willingness to explore new broadcast deals is more than just testing the waters — it’s a strategic move to secure a bigger slice of the rapidly evolving sports media market. With record-breaking audiences and surging interest in golf, USGA’s next deal could define the sports media presence for the next decade. Whether they return to NBC or strike a bold new partnership, one thing is clear: golf’s commercial value is higher than ever.
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