Versant Keeps Golf Links After NBCU Split

The U.S. Golf Association will help the new media company known as Versant keep swinging into sports after it is spun off from NBCUniversal.

USA Network and Golf Channel will get rights to present live coverage of 11 USGA championships through 2032 — including the U.S. Open and U.S. Women’s Open — featuring live event and studio coverage of the championships across the networks struck under a new deal that is unveiled at the same time as a USGA renewal with NBCU.

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Under terms of the new deal, USA will present about 35 hours of live U.S. Open and U.S. Women’s Open coverage each year. Golf Channel will carry expanded live coverage of the USGA championships, serving as the exclusive home of the U.S. Amateur, U.S. Women’s Amateur, U.S. Junior Amateur., U.S. Girls’ Junior., U.S. Senior Women’s Open, U.S. Adaptive Open, Walker Cup, and Curtis Cup.

NBCUniversal’s new rights deal with the USGA also lasts through 2032, with the NBC broadcast network continuing to serve as the exclusive broadcast home of the U.S. Open, U.S. Women’s Open, and U.S. Senior Open.

The Versant spin off is expected to take place between late 2025 and early 2026. NBCU initially won the USGA rights in 2020 after the golf group broke up with Fox Sports, which was unable to come up with hours for telecasts after schedule shifts prompted by the coronavirus pandemic.

“We’re incredibly proud of the partnership we’ve built over the years with NBCU and Versant, and we’re equally excited to continue building on that legacy through our shared passion and dedication – alongside people we’re proud to call our friends,” said USGA CEO Mike Whan, in a prepared statement. “The value NBCU and Versant place on the USGA brand is evident, and this agreement enables the USGA to further advance our mission to positively impact the game, while providing the most expansive coverage and broadest reach to showcase USGA championships.”

The pact shows Versant working to maintain sports contracts its networks have held for years. USA is still home to some WWE broadcasts, and both USA and CNBC have served as home to dozens of hours of Olympics contests.

The new elements of the agreement will begin in 2027 following the conclusion of the current agreement in 2026. USA Network began its coverage of the USGA championships in 2022 with the U.S. Open and U.S. Women’s Open. Meanwhile, Golf Channel first presented live coverage of the USGA championships in 1995 — the year it launched as the first single-sport cable network in television history.

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