Scots taxpayers to sponsor Sky’s Ryder Cup coverage

Published on 05/09/2012 00:00

THE Scottish Government’s tourism agency is using £300,000 of taxpayer’s cash to sponsor Sky TV’s coverage of the Ryder Cup in the United States this month.

VisitScotland is paying the money in exchange for advertising access to Sky, owned by the BSkyB group.

VisitScotland insists the deal will allow it to promote Scotland as a leading golf venue in the run-up to Gleneagles hosting the event in 2014.

A VisitScotland spokesman said: “In addition to print, digital and events the latest campaign promoting Scotland The Home of Golf, running until March 2013, includes a TV spend of £300,000.”

A government spokeswoman said no ministers were involved in the discussions with Sky.

But Scottish Green co-leader Patrick Harvie said: “It seems ­bizarre that VisitScotland would channel such a huge amount of taxpayers’ money to Rupert Murdoch’s media empire.”