Golf fans in the UAE could once again be able to watch live coverage of The Open Championship after The R&A launched One Club, an evolution of its direct-to-consumer membership initiative designed to transform how fans and golfers around the world experience the sport year-round.
The free to join club will include a host of benefits, including the launch of a new global streaming service, R&A TV, which allows members to watch coverage of R&A Championships each year, including The Open and AIG Women’s Open, as well as original golf lifestyle content.
Members will enjoy enhanced viewing features including multi-view and live event replays to experience more golf content than ever before.
It will also offer fans money-can't-buy experiences and access to premium coaching and playing opportunities, allowing avid golfers and fans to take their passion for the sport to the next level.
Neil Armit, Chief Commercial Officer at The R&A, said, “We want golf to be more accessible and appealing for people of all ages and backgrounds. One Club helps to achieve this by bringing fans and golfers closer to the sport they love, whether that is through the excitement and drama of our Major Championships or the enjoyment they derive from playing the sport year-round.
“We are working closely with Mastercard and other partners to provide them with compelling reasons to immerse themselves in the sport by offering a unique collection of benefits and rewards that enhance their experience of golf and make them feel more connected to it. We believe that this is crucial to inspiring broader interest in the sport and fueling future growth.”
While weekend warriors in the Middle East can catch live action from DP World Tour and PGA Tour on evision’s ‘Golf Life’, the channel doesn’t hold any rights for the four Major Championships.
OSN were the last rights holders to broadcast the Majors in the MENA region but ended their live golf coverage in 2019.
No TV channel will broadcast next month’s Masters Tournament either, but the Masters website and App will include live coverage of certain holes and groups and allow users to watch nearly all of the 20,000-plus shots in fairly close to real time.
