In what is a potential game-changer regarding how live golf is viewed, this 100th edition of the US PGA Championship will only be available live to an Irish audience through streaming on the Eleven Sports website, its Facebook page or via its app.
With Sky Sports – who last had rights to the season's final Major in 2016 – failing to add the championship to its coverage, and last year's one-off deal with BBC proving to be less than a success, the PGA of America has departed from its traditional model to give live streaming rights to the British-based Eleven Sports, a company owned by Leeds United owner Andrea Radrizzani.
The good news for golf viewers is that the PGA is the actual launch-pad for the company’s move into the Irish and UK markets, so all four rounds are available for free on the Eleven Sports App (the first two are also available free on its Facebook page).
To watch using the app, however, viewers will have to register for the free trial which runs out on August 13th, the day after the final round of the tournament. After that, there will be a charge of €6.99 a month or alternatively there is an annual subscription of €59.99, a promotional offer that finishes on August 31st.
Eleven Sports has also outmanoeuvred Sky Sports and BT Sports to secure rights of the upcoming La Liga and Serie A soccer campaigns in Spain and Italy.
The US PGA effectively kick-starts a bold new world of how live sport will potentially be viewed going forward.
The platform model being used– which Eleven Sports has used in countries such as Portugal and Poland, where it has cut its teeth with a range from football to UFC – allows subscribers to watch live screening on smartphones,laptops, iPads and tablets . . . . however, the tournament can also be watched on Smart TVs with a connection using a HDMI cable from laptops and other devices.
All you need to do is plug the cable into your laptop and then one of the HDMI ports on your television (price range €4.95-€49.95 in electrical stores).
