Golf circuit also wants dedicated golf channel as part of next media deal.

The PGA Tour’s search for a new media rights deal in the US has drawn interest from the likes of Amazon, AT&T, ESPN and Fox, according to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ).

The New York-based business paper reports that the premier North American men’s golf circuit is looking for a ‘significant increase’ on its current contract with CBS and NBC, which is apparently worth around US$400 million each year.

In addition, the WSJ claims that the PGA Tour is intent on having a dedicated golf channel to house the coverage of its tournaments as part of any new agreement.

The PGA Tour still has two years to run on its current arrangement with CBS and NBC, but Sports Business Journal (SBJ) reported at the end of July that the golf organisation is ‘confident’ of having its next media rights deal in place by January next year.

According to the WSJ, talks between the PGA Tour and both its existing and potential broadcast partners are now underway.

“We think the time is right for us,” Rick Anderson, chief media officer for the PGA Tour, told the WSJ. “We should do very well.”

The PGA Tour’s deals with CBS and NBC were signed back in 2013 and run through 2021. Meanwhile, the organisation’s pact with NBC-owned Golf Channel dates all the way back to 2007.