List of Ryder Cup broadcasters

The Ryder Cup matches were always covered by the BBC, whether in Britain or in the United States, even prior to the British team's merger with Europe. In the 1990s, Sky Sports became heavily involved in the Ryder Cup, and has since taken over live coverage, including creating a channel specifically dedicated for the 2014 and 2016 competition. The BBC still screens edited highlights each night.

UK television coverage

The Ryder Cup was always covered on TV and radio by the

. The BBC continued to cover it on radio.

In 1981, the BBC regained the TV rights after an eight year absence covering the 1981, 1983, 1985, 1987, 1989, 1991 and 1993 cups. But beginning in 1995, Sky Sports took over the rights for live coverage and has held them ever since.

Sky Sports created a dedicated channel for the competition beginning with the

.

US television coverage overview

ABC (1975–1987)

In the United States, the Ryder Cup was first televised live at the 1983^[1] matches in Florida, with ABC Sports covering just the final four holes of the singles matches.^[2] A highlight package of the 1985 singles matches was produced by ESPN, but no live coverage aired from England. In 1987,^[3][4][5] with the matches back in the United States, ABC covered both weekend days, but only in the late afternoon. Also in 1987, ABC provided approximately 2½ hours of tournament coverage each on Saturday as well as Sunday. The network also previously covered the Sunday singles of the Ryder Cup in 1975 (with Jim McKay as the lead commentator) and 1979.

ESPN (1985–1987; 2006–2012)

ESPN revamped its graphics and its coverage team in 2010 as well. Mike Tirico and Paul Azinger remained the lead booth announcers. Curtis Strange returned as a hole announcer, while Scott Van Pelt moved from the studio host position to become a hole announcer as well. Sean McDonough joined the coverage team as another hole announcer. Andy North, Judy Rankin and Billy Kratzert all returned as on-course reporters. Terry Gannon moved from a hole announcer role to the role of studio host during live coverage, for highlight updates. Tom Weiskopf, who had been a hole announcer, became an analyst for holes Van Pelt was assigned to, and was joined by Peter Alliss in this role for one hour per day at the Open Championship. At the Ryder Cup, Alliss took Van Pelt's place as a hole announcer, while Van Pelt and Weiskopf worked on the studio set. Tom Rinaldi remained the lead interviewer and essayist.

In 2012, Gannon's role was eliminated and he joined NBC Sports and the Golf Channel.

2012 would also be ESPN's final Ryder Cup. The network traded its Friday rights to the 2014 event back to NBC for additional Premier League highlights. NBC then signed a rights deal covering the 2016–2030 editions of the event, ending ESPN's chances of a comeback.

USA Network (1989–2010)

In 1989,

live on the weekend, with USA Network continuing to provide live coverage of the first day. All five sessions were broadcast for the first time. The success of the 1991 matches led to a contract extension with USA and NBC through 1997, marking a turning point in the competition's popularity. For the European matches, the first two days were taped and aired on delay in the U.S. Another extension with USA and NBC covering the 1999–2003 (later moved to 2004) competitions increased the number of hours of coverage to include the entire first day and most of the second day. Tape delay was still employed for competitions from Europe.

In early 2006, it was announced that USA was outbid by Golf Channel for its early-round PGA Tour rights, with USA's final season being 2006. NBC/Universal, parent company of USA Network, traded away the network's Friday Ryder Cup coverage through 2012 to ESPN for the rights to sign Al Michaels. However, USA did renew its Masters contract for an additional year. USA would televise the 2007 Masters before being outbid by ESPN for future coverage. The 2007 Masters was also the final event for USA Sports, which was dissolved into parent NBC Sports after the tournament. All future sports telecasts on USA would use NBC's graphics and personalities.

The Ryder Cup contract, which stipulated cable coverage air on USA, was still controlled by NBC even after it granted ESPN the rights to Friday cable coverage (normally the only day of the event covered on cable). However, in 2010, rain on Friday pushed the singles matches to Monday, necessitating that they air on cable. With NBC having granted only Friday rights to ESPN, the singles matches aired on USA, which would be the final golf telecast for the network. Four months later, NBC merged with Golf Channel, making Golf Channel NBC's primary cable outlet for golf.

NBC (1991–present)

The U.S. television coverage in 1985 was a highlight show on ESPN in early November, over a month after its completion.^[11] NBC took over live weekend coverage in 1991 in South Carolina.^[12]

The Ryder Cup's increased success led to a landmark contract with NBC (which had recently bought USA Network) to air the 2006–2014 competitions on USA and NBC. It called for a record increase in coverage hours, with the second day now having near-complete coverage. Tape delay was last used for the 2006 event in Ireland. In 2006, ESPN was sub-licensed rights to Friday coverage, as part of a larger transaction between NBC and Disney that also resulted in ABC Sports personality Al Michaels moving to NBC to join their then-upcoming Sunday-night NFL games, ESPN gaining expanded access to highlights from events whose rights are owned by NBC, and Disney acquiring the rights to the cartoon character Oswald the Lucky Rabbit (who was created by Walt Disney in 1927 for a series of animated shorts distributed by Universal Pictures).^[13]

In 2013, NBC reached a deal to extend its rights to the Ryder Cup and Senior PGA Championship through 2030, with Friday coverage of the Ryder Cup being assumed by Golf Channel.^[14][15]

The

US television commentators

Play-by-play/anchors

Announcer	Years	Network(s)
Dick Enberg	1995–1999	NBC
Chick Hearn	1959	NBC
Dan Hicks	2002–2018	NBC
Charlie Jones[17]	1991	NBC
Jim Lampley	1993	NBC
Bill Macatee	1991–2006	USA
Jim McKay	1975, 1979, 1983, 1987	ABC
Jim Simpson	1989	USA
Mike Tirico	2008–present	NBC

The

being the lead broadcaster for each.

In the United States, coverage of

.

In the United States, live Friday

.

In the United States, coverage of

for 2007 and beyond.

All

.

All

USA Network

aired coverage of the singles live on Monday morning. The coverage was produced by corporate sibling NBC, with NBC's announcers being used on the telecast.

All

.

In the US, corporate siblings

appeared as a guest commentator to lend a European perspective, a role he previously filled for NBC in 2012.

Analysts

Announcer	Years	Network
Paul Azinger	2021–present	NBC
David Feherty	2016–present	NBC
Peter Kostis	1991–2006	USA
Gary McCord	1989	USA
Johnny Miller	1991–2018	NBC
Ben Wright	1989	USA

See also

• List of ESPN/ABC golf commentators
• List of NBC Sports golf commentators
  • Golf Channel § Notable personalities
• PGA Tour on USA § Commentators

References

External links

• Search Results for: Ryder Cup (Awful Announcing)
• SEARCH RESULTS: RYDER CUP (40)