Something overshadowed the Open Championship’s first round, something far less thrilling: commercial breaks. Almost a month ago, viewers criticized NBC’s coverage of the U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills, calling it ‘horrendous’ and ‘unwatchable’ because of its commercial overload. Now, the same complaints have resurfaced online as the channel keeps interrupting play with advertisements.
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Golf Digest’s Joel Beall lit the fuse from inside Royal Birkdale’s media center on Thursday, pointing out the difference between Sky Sports’ European broadcast coverage and NBC’s and USA Network’s coverage.
“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,” wrote Beall on X.
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
The ad timeline was even more frustrating, with No Laying Up highlighting the flashpoint on Twitter.
Scottie Scheffler birdied four of his first six holes when USA Network cut to a commercial. Minutes later, when the coverage returned, Scheffler’s tee shot on the seventh was nowhere to be found. Instead of adjusting the shot or showing a replay, the broadcast proceeded with the major.
The disparity becomes even sharper when compared with how European viewers experience the same tournament. Sky Sports, which carries the Open across the UK, runs its coverage largely uninterrupted through live play, a structure that golf fans have praised for years and that NBC consistently measured against.
The frustration isn’t limited to advertisement breaks. Beyond ads, NBC cut mid-shot interviews, delayed returns, and skipped recaps entirely.
The cost of the broadcast is also a pain point. Peacock’s live sports tier runs at approximately $10.99/month for premium, on top of a cable or streaming package that a fan already pays to access NBC and USA Network.
The backlash was immediate and widespread. Golf Digest’s Christopher Powers summed up the mood with a twelve-second video captioned, “Another major golf tournament on NBC.”
The clip featured a man crying and clearly struggling to speak as he said, “We’re going to beat these people. I’m not trying to be dramatic here, but it’s a hard fight, and these people here, they hate our children.”
The joke needed no further explanation for anyone who had sat through nearly every early-round Open broadcast before.
Joining him was journalist Cameron Jourdan, who added his own criticism of the morning’s coverage.
“Coverage has been pretty poor this morning. Commercial overload, no flow, and missing so many shots,” he said on X.
Another fan zeroed in on the emotional cost rather than the logistics.
“Absolute killer,” they tweeted.
It was a short, blunt reaction that captured how disruptive the ads felt to the viewers.
One fan commented, “We need the ability to stream Sky in the U.S. without jailbreaking anything. I remember the DirecTV days. They’d give you the Sky or World feed and it was hundred times better than them.”
Another fan turned to dark humor, referencing NBC’s ad patterns with a nickname of his own. “Wait until they find out about Rolex hours.”
One fan opted to take a direct jab at the broadcast’s priorities in running ads over the viewership experience.
They said, “Some things are more important than golf and not caring about the fans.”
Broadcasters facing flak is clearly a recurring pattern in 2026. During the 2026 PGA Championship, audiences took issue with excessive graphics and studio elements replacing live shots.
It’s not just a 2026 problem. During the 2022 U.S. Open, fan frustration reached a peak that led to the USGA CEO promising personal intervention in finding a solution.
Mike Whan had tweeted that he was “on it” and would “work with our partner to do better!”
They may have done better, but this year NBC again received criticism for its decision to bug caddies’ bibs during the U.S. Open.
The Masters, though, is exempt from excessive advertisements.
According to Today’s Golfer, only four minutes of advertising are permitted per hour of coverage. This comes up to about 25% of what’s seen at the other major events.