ESPN and CBS join forces to broadcast PGA Championship until 2030

ESPN and commercial broadcaster CBS have joined forces and will replace Turner Sports, after securing the broadcast rights for the PGA Championship starting with the event at San Francisco’s Harding Park in May 2020.

The new deal runs for 11 years, starting in 2020 and extending through 2030.

ESPN will have exclusive live coverage of the first and second rounds, whilst also covering the morning of the third and final rounds.

ESPN’s OTT service ESPN+ will broadcast the entire tournament.

“This agreement is going to be great for golf fans and is significant for ESPN and ESPN+,” ESPN Executive Vice President Programming and Scheduling, Burke Magnus said.

“The PGA will bolster ESPN’s diverse collection of big events and deliver another world-class competition to the ESPN+ platform and its growing audience.

“We look forward to working with the PGA of America to help increase the sport’s popularity,” he said.

CBS will broadcast the third and final rounds and is looking to expand on its current highlights and digital coverage efforts.

“For nearly a half-century, CBS Sports has been a vital member of the PGA of America extended family while delivering our major championship to golf fans across the country,” PGA Chief Executive Officer, Seth Waugh said.

“As we move this iconic championship to May, we are extremely excited that CBS and ESPN will present the highest quality product with the state-of-the-art technology through a broadcast team that shares our mission to grow the sport of golf.”

ESPN was the PGA’s original cable television home and aired the first two rounds of the event in 1982 and 1983 and then from 1985-1990.