Nearly two years ago, the NBC Sports Group was stung when it lost the rights to televise the United States Open to Fox.

NBC made clear its dissatisfaction with the bidding process that would sever its long relationship with the tournament. NBC was losing not only a prestigious property to Fox — which did not carry golf — but also its only golf major. For NBC, acquiring a new major for itself and Golf Channel, its cable sibling under Comcast, was important if not imperative.

On Monday, NBC announced that in 2017 it would start showing the British Open in a 12-year deal that will cost it at least $50 million annually, about double ESPN’s fees during its current eight-year contact. No rival network appears to have needed it as much as NBC or was willing to spend as much for it. ESPN still has the cable rights to the Masters, but it is also losing its United States Open rights.

Mark Lazarus, chairman of NBC Sports Group, said in an interview: “This is an affirmation of the way the golf industry looks at us and Golf Channel as an important part of the golf media world.”