ESPN hasn’t been a massive factor in golf broadcasts lately, but the sports entertainment giant is slowly adding major tournaments to its portfolio.
In a release, ESPN revealed it will broadcast the first and second rounds of the PGA Championship beginning in 2020. It’s an 11-year deal that extends through 2030.
Lately, only The Masters has held a regular home on ESPN. Otherwise, CBS has typically done the heavy lifting in golf broadcasts. That’s not changing with the PGA moving forward, though.
CBS will continue to show the third and final rounds of the major, which is shifting from its typical August slot to May in 2019. Best of all for golf fans, though, ESPN will have multiple hours of live coverage Saturday and Sunday before CBS takes over.
That’s an enormous — and positive — change, since viewers have been extremely limited in coverage options recently. The more action available, the better.