BBC agrees new rights deal to The Open

The BBC has agreed a new five-year deal with the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews (The R&A) for broadcast rights to The Open Championship.

The new deal extends BBC Sport's current contract for the golf tournament up to and including the 2016 Championship.

It will enable live and on-demand coverage from The Open to be broadcast on the corporation's main TV channels, along with radio, online, interactive and BBC iPlayer.

"We are delighted to have extended our partnership with The R&A to broadcast The Open, one of our most important crown jewel events," said BBC director of sport Barbara Slater.

"We look forward to continuing to bring top-class golf coverage to the widest possible audiences through to 2016."

The R&A chief executive Peter Dawson added: "The R&A has enjoyed a special relationship with the BBC for more than 50 years. On the occasion of the 150th anniversary of The Open Championship, we are very pleased to have ensured the continuation of that relationship.

"It is very important to The R&A that The Open remains accessible to as many people as possible and the BBC is an ideal partner in fulfilling this ambition across the United Kingdom."

This year's Open Championship, which gets under way tomorrow, will mark the first time that the BBC has aired live coverage from the event in high definition.