Opening tee shot of The Open to be shown live on Sky Sports
Wednesday 1 June 2016 12:15, UK
The opening tee shot of The Open will be shown live for the first time as part of Sky Sports' round-the-clock coverage of golf's pre-eminent Major.
Sky Sports will dedicate an entire channel to the Championship, offering 10 days of programming including live coverage of all four days' play and practice rounds, evening highlights of each day's play plus a host of documentaries and shows exploring the unique allure of The Open.
The channel launches on July 11, when Sky Sports 1 HD becomes 'Sky Sports The Open'. Sky's live coverage of The 145th Open at Royal Troon will begin on July 14, ahead of the opening tee shot at 6.35am which will be shown live for the first time on television in the UK and Ireland. The Championship continues until July 17.
Sky Sports managing director Barney Francis said: "The Open is the pre-eminent golf Major and Sky Sports will offer the Championship the coverage it deserves.
"With a dedicated channel, we will offer viewers the complete story live from Royal Troon, from the opening tee shot to the final putt. We're excited and honoured to be covering the event and can't wait for it to begin."
R&A chief executive Martin Slumbers said: "The Open is a true celebration of world-class sport. We are delighted with the comprehensive and innovative coverage that Sky Sports will deliver from the build-up to the Championship at Royal Troon through to the crowning of the Champion Golfer of the Year.
"The Open holds a special place in the hearts of sports fans who appreciate the unrelenting challenge that is presented to the world's best players, and we know that Sky Sports will broadcast the Championship with great insight and expertise."
Coverage will feature commentary and analysis from some of the biggest names in golf including Paul McGinley, Butch Harmon and Colin Montgomerie. Sky Sports' award-winning golf production team will utilise some of the latest broadcast technology, including virtual analysis of the course and selected player swings.
Sky's coverage of The Open will be a highlight of another unmissable summer of sport on Sky Sports, which includes live England Test cricket against Sri Lanka and Pakistan, every Formula 1 Grand Prix, including Silverstone, and England's rugby union tour of Australia. Then in August, there will be 126 live Premier League games, with more top picks and Friday night matches for the first time,
This year, Sky Sports is the only place to watch all four Majors and the Ryder Cup. The full schedule is available to those that subscribe to Sky Sports and to non-subscribers through online streaming service NOW TV, available on 60 devices, which offers access to seven Sky Sports channels for £6.99 a day or through a week pass at £10.99.
On the same day that 'Sky Sports The Open' launches, Sky Sports' channel numbers will change, with Sky Sports News HQ moving to Sky electronic programme guide (EPG) number 406, with Sky Sports 1 becoming 401.
Sky Sports channel listings from July 11
401 - Sky Sports 1 (Sky Sports The Open)
402 - Sky Sports 2
403 - Sky Sports 3
404 - Sky Sports 4
405 - Sky Sports 5
406 - Sky Sports News HQ
407 - Sky Sports F1
Watch the Open throughout the week from July 11-17 live on Sky Sports - your home of golf
