BT Sport Set To Take 2018 Masters

BT Sport are said to be in talks with Augusta National to show next year's Masters after Sky Sports' Masters deal expired

BT Sport Set To Take 2018 Masters

Sky have lost the USPGA Championship and it looks like the Masters may be on its way out too.

That's according to the Telegraph, who say that BT Sport are currently in talks with Augusta to secure the broadcast rights for next year's tournament.

Sky has been showing the Masters since 2011, sharing the final two days of live coverage with the BBC.

However, they have apparently not secured a deal to broadcast the 2018 tournament after hitting a stumbling block over finances.

BT may see this as their perfect entrance into the golf market.

The telecoms giant currently has the rights to Premier League and Champions League football, UFC, Rugby Premiership, Champions Cup and Challenge Cup, Moto GP, UFC and has recently got into the boxing game with Boxnation.

Related: Sky or BBC - Who covered the Masters better?

It has also secured the rights to the upcoming Ashes Test, which Sky used to show.

A BT Sport Masters deal would come as a further blow to Sky, who launched a dedicated golf channel earlier this month, after the BBC secured rights to the USPGA Championship in August.

Sky's deal was up with the PGA of America, who wanted to broaden the reach of the year's final major.

Now, it will become the most-watched major championship in the UK, with the free-to-air BBC reaching far higher numbers.

If the Masters does go to BT Sport, it is unclear whether the BBC would keep their deal with Augusta to show both of the final days live.

Either way, this is bad news for Sky who showed all four of golf's majors for the first time in 2o16, and it looked like that would continue until last week.

Sergio Garcia will defend his title at the 2018 Masters after he beat Justin Rose in a playoff in April to win his first major.

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