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Asian Tour beams to Europe with Sky Sports

The Asian Tour has signed a landmark agreement with Sky Sports to air its live, highlights and magazines shows in the United Kingdom and Ireland from now until the end of 2012, officials announced today.

With Korea’s Yang Yong-eun’s historic victory at the US PGA Championship on Sunday where he outdueled Tiger Woods to become Asia’s first male major champion, the Asian Tour's reputation for cultivating world beaters has been strengthened.

Yang, K.J. Choi, Vijay Singh, Jeev Milka Singh and Thongchai Jaidee are amongst the region’s stars who honed their games on the Asian Tour before going on to establish themselves on the world stage.

Sky Sports viewers will be able to see them and the new crop of Asian Tour stars thanks to this new agreement.

The events to be broadcast this year are:

September
10 – 13 Macau Open, Macau

October
22-25 Iskandar Johor Open, Malaysia
29 – Nov 1 Barclays Singapore Open

November
5 – 8 HSBC Champions, Shanghai, China
12 – 15 UBS Hong Kong Open, Hong Kong
19 – 22 Johnnie Walker Cambodian Open, Siem Reap, Cambodia
26 – 29 Omega Mission Hills World Cup, Shenzhen, China

With Sky Sports already broadcasting tournaments in Asia which are co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour and European Tour, the addition of the full Asian Tour schedule will provide Sky Sports viewers with all the very best action from across the region.

Eric Lynge, Senior Director, TV and Commercial Affairs, Asian Tour said: “We are very excited to partner with Sky Sports to broadcast Asian Tour events across their bandwidth and join the fine stable of golf programming already on offer on Sky Channels.

“As the leading satellite broadcaster in the UK and Ireland, our partnership with Sky Sports is further evidence of the growth of the Asian Tour onto the world stage and a recognition of our product and players.

“We believe this milestone will further pave the way for the Asian Tour to raise our profile internationally while also adding substantial value for Sky Sports and its viewers.”

Jason Wessely, Sky Sports Executive Golf Producer, said: "Sky has a fantastic calendar of golf with golf programming every week of the year. The addition of The Asian Tour Programming to the schedule further adds to our depth of coverage which brings a rich pedigree of golf from across the world.”

For years, the Asian Tour has provided the springboard to greater fame of players like Korea’s K.J. Choi and Charlie Wi, India’s Arjun Atwal and Jeev Milka Singh, Thailand’s Thongchai Jaidee and Prayad Marksaeng, and China’s Liang Wen-chong.

International players have also benefited tremendously through their experience of competing on the Asian Tour with the likes of England’s Simon Dyson, American Ted Purdy, Australians John Senden, Andrew Buckle and Jarrod Lyle enjoying success in Asia before moving onto bigger things in Europe and the United States.

With a new and exciting crop of golfers representing no fewer than 27 different nationalities and the Asian Tour spanning across 16 countries, Sky Sports viewers will now be able to watch promising talents from across Asia and the world competing at scenic locations around the region.

August 24, 2009