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Report: ESPN+ wins PGA Tour streaming rights

Gregory Shamus / Getty Images Sport / Getty

SAN DIEGO (AP) The PGA Tour is closing in on its next television rights deal, likely to be announced after the West Coast swing now that the digital side is coming together.

Two people aware of the negotiations say ESPN has emerged as the winner of the streaming sweepstakes, which currently belongs to NBC Sports. They spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the deal is not finalized.

Live streaming would be available on ESPN+.

It would not be the first time ESPN+ has shown the PGA Tour. It had a portion of PGA Tour Live in 2018 - it was run by BAMTech, of which Disney had acquired a controlling stake the previous summer. PGA Tour Live moved to NBC Sports Gold for 2019 and this year.

ESPN previously won the rights to weekday coverage of the PGA Championship starting this year at Harding Park and plans to offer supplemental feeds on ESPN+.

Sports Business Journal previously reported that CBS and NBC (and Golf Channel) have agreed to terms that would keep them as the networks through 2030, with a rights fee increase of 60%. SBJ reported that CBS and NBC would alternate coverage of the three FedEx Cup playoff events.

The PGA Tour announced two other partnerships last week.

It is sharing with Pluto TV video-on-demand from PGA Tour Live, broadcast partners and featured hole coverage from 23 events. The tour also announced an agreement with Facebook to distribute daily highlights on Facebook Watch. That began from Torrey Pines. The tour plans to publish daily recaps and player highlights from more than 30 events.

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