Sky Sports expands broadcast footprint as Ryu chases third major at 50th Women’s Open
The 50th AIG Women’s Open has begun at Royal Lytham with expanded broadcast coverage, underscoring the growing commercial momentum of women’s professional golf as Haeran Ryu pursues a historic third consecutive major title.
The second round of the 50th AIG Women’s Open is underway at Royal Lytham and St Annes in Lancashire, with Haeran Ryu leading the charge after an opening-round 66 on Thursday morning. The South Korean golfer is seeking a historic third consecutive major victory, having already secured the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship and the Amundi Evian Championship earlier this season.
Ryu heads into Friday’s afternoon wave in the tournament's marquee group alongside New Zealand’s Lydia Ko and world number one Nelly Korda. Korda faces an uphill battle to advance her position, having carded a two-over 73 on Thursday as she attempts to reignite her bid for a third major title of the year.
English contender Lottie Woad is well-positioned to build on a bogey-free 69 in the afternoon session. Meanwhile, Charley Hull tees off in the morning wave at 8:42 am BST, grouped with Australia’s Hannah Green and Canada’s Brooke Henderson among the 144 players in the field for the final women’s major of the year.
Beyond the leaderboard, this milestone edition highlights the escalating commercial value of women’s professional sports. Sky Sports has secured exclusive broadcast rights for the UK and Ireland, introducing Featured Groups coverage for the first time to capitalize on growing viewer demand and market interest.
The broadcaster is delivering six additional hours of live action compared to previous years, with early coverage beginning at 9 am and full coverage starting at 1 pm on Friday. Rounds three and four will also see extended live windows beginning at midday over the weekend, maximizing audience engagement.
This expanded media footprint reflects growing corporate and investor confidence in the women’s golf market. As the 50th edition of the tournament, it serves as a clear benchmark for how legacy sports properties are successfully adapting their broadcast strategies to capture expanding audiences and drive new sponsorship revenue across Europe.
