NBC is on golf fans’ nerves once again, this time for interrupting a 2024 Paris Summer Olympics runner-up’s win with ads. In the final round of the AIG Women’s Open, Esther Henseleit sank an incredible 40-foot birdie putt to force a playoff with Shiho Kuwaki. The dramatic moment sparked wild celebrations, with Henseleit’s husband and caddie, Reece Phillips, jumping up and down and punching the air in delight. But while the pair celebrated on the course, fans watching from home grew frustrated with the event’s poor television coverage.

“3 minutes of golf between commercial breaks for @NBCSports,” No Laying Up wrote on X. ‘They just do not care at allllll.”

NBC broadcasts the AIG Women’s Open on Golf Channel, USA Network, and NBC with no commercial-free option. Streaming requires Peacock Premium ($10.99/month) plus a cable/live TV subscription.

NBC’s commercial load has drawn repeated criticism: U.S. Open (Shinnecock Hills), The Open, and now the Women’s Open. Golf Digest’s Joel Beall noted Sky Sports’ European feed runs continuously while NBC cuts to advertisements.

“The TV feeds in media center underline how onerous the American commercial load is. In last 15 mins the European Sky Sports coverage has been continuous while NBC/USA Network has gone to ads three times.”

Back in June, during the U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills, viewers took to social media to blast NBC’s final-round coverage as “horrendous” and “unwatchable,” pointing to the high commercial load and limited live action from the chasing pack trying to reel in leader Wyndham Clark.

The issue was not isolated to weekend coverage. During Round 3 of the U.S. Open, NBC faced backlash for abruptly delaying coverage to air an extended Carson Daly interview, which came alongside several lengthy commercial breaks, further reducing the amount of live golf shown during a crucial stretch of the tournament.

Not to mention, NBC’s broadcast problems have hit women’s and senior majors just as hard as the men’s events. The LPGA’s Chevron Championship suffered a “catastrophic” 82-minute blackout that left fans unable to see leaders, including Nelly Korda, during the opening holes of the final round.

The LPGA had promised enhanced coverage for 2026, with more cameras and live streaming, but the execution on NBC and Peacock still created a glaring gap between the live action and the TV feed.

Senior majors have not escaped the same complaints about “commercial overload” and rigid scheduling, with NBC cutting away for ads and studio segments regardless of the tour. Across men, women, and seniors, the message is clear: network programming slots still interfere with the fluid nature of golf.

Viewers have also complained about mid-shot interview interruptions, delayed returns from commercial breaks, and missed recaps. Broadcasters have repeatedly faced similar scrutiny in recent years. During the 2026 PGA Championship, fans objected to excessive graphics and studio segments replacing live golf. 

Frustration over commercial-heavy broadcasts also peaked during the 2022 U.S. Open, prompting USGA CEO Mike Whan to publicly promise improvements, writing on X that he was “on it” and would “work with our partner to do better!” Four years later, complaints persist, suggesting improvements never materialized.

NBC has held the U.S. media rights to the AIG Women’s Open since signing a landmark 12-year agreement with The R&A in 2015, with exclusive broadcast coverage beginning in the 2017 season.

NBCUniversal entered 2026 with a stack of high-profile promises about how it would cover golf’s biggest stages. In August 2025, the network locked in a six-year extension with the USGA through 2032, guaranteeing at least 25 hours of broadcast coverage for the U.S. Open and pledging more than 46 hours of live coverage for the 2026 edition at Shinnecock Hills, with 21 of those hours airing on the main NBC network across Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

The deal also committed Peacock to simulstream all NBC USGA programming and offer exclusive streaming for the U.S. Open and U.S. Women’s Open, a move NBC Sports president Rick Cordella called “incredibly special” in his push to grow the game.

The LPGA Tour received similar treatment ahead of the season. In November 2025, NBC and Golf Channel announced that starting in 2026, every round of every tournament would air live for the first time, ending the era of tape-delayed coverage that had frustrated fans for years. Golf Channel’s Amy Rogers highlighted the shift as a “major” upgrade, noting that weekend rounds would also spill onto CNBC so viewers could follow the action as it unfolded.

For The Open Championship at Royal Birkdale, NBC and the R&A leaned into their long-term partnership with a pledge of “wall-to-wall TV and streaming coverage” across NBC, USA Network, Golf Channel, and Peacock. The network committed to comprehensive live windows beginning at 7 a.m. ET on Saturday and Sunday, with more than 20 hours of traditional championship coverage and over 150 hours total when including featured groups and streaming.

Yet despite these bold commitments to live, uninterrupted golf, something clearly did not line up when the cameras rolled. With the 2026 AIG Women’s Open under scrutiny, fans quickly took to social media to complain. 

One user wrote, “@LPGA @AIGWomensOpen if @NBCSports was TRYING to hurt the sport, the telecast wouldn’t be worse than it already is. Back 9 of a major, and we see ~4 shots between commercials.”

Another remarked, “No it’s insanely terrible coverage on @GolfChannel. They literally just went to a full commercial break in the middle of Thorbjornsen putting for a birdie 😂😂”

The next fan wrote, “The worst coverage of any sport by a mile.”

Meanwhile, this user complained, “Incredible golf course. Players choking. Anyone can win. And somehow NBC makes it almost unwatchable.”

The AIG Women’s Open came to an unpleasant end. Despite the exciting action on the course, NBC’s frequent on-screen commercials left several fans unsatisfied.