Coliseum boss Tim Martin was unapologetic but told the Herald the company was "working hard" with TVNZ and Mediaworks to get some LPGA tournaments featuring Ko on free-to-air. This involved complicated scheduling issues for free-to-air stations, and Coliseum would broadcast Ko tournaments free if necessary. But Martin said Sky had become so integral to sports watching that fans almost forgot it was a subscriber service.
Martin said: "There is still resistance to internet content but it is a fact of life. Rather than fighting it and moaning they would be far better off figuring out how to do it.
"We want to get live [men's] PGA and live Lydia Ko on free-to-air TV. People will see Lydia Ko for free for the first time - I guarantee that for certain points in the season.
"Guys can bitch and moan but that represents a massive step forward. They can fire off letters with their righteous indignation but they don't see the big picture.
"People forget we got the English Premier League on free-to-air for the first time in a generation. Coliseum was set up by two guys who love New Zealand sport and support open access.
"But if you want to access internet stuff you need the right hardware and I don't apologise for that. If you wanted to watch a DVD you needed a DVD player. Sky charged people for a satellite dish."
Deaker, who quit his high-profile media career in late 2013, has taken a swing at the PGA in America. He wrote to it, describing the rights switch as "the dumbest move any sporting body has made" and was furious they forwarded his letter to Coliseum rather than address the issues directly.
Deaker's letter stated: "The long term damage to your sport in this country will be extreme. In the short term the inability of most Kiwis to follow Lydia Ko is infuriating."
Deaker told the Herald his own attempts to watch internet sport resulted in a screen covered by a "chequerboard".
"A lot of golf fans are older and simply don't know how to get it," he said. "Lydia Ko is No1 and the only people who are watching are Coliseum and their mates. They make out it is simple to do but it isn't."
Coliseum's full golf package costs $200 a year.
Lister said: "My options are to run a cable down from my office, down the hall, through the kitchen and into the lounge to my TV. This I am not prepared to do.
"The other option is to spend $520 [on a tablet and streaming box] on top of my subscription. I have expressed my dismay to the PGA about the direction they have taken."
Martin told Lister to use WiFi or move a laptop close to his TV.
"That is a guy not trying very hard," Martin said.
Martin said subscription costs were a legitimate concern as the old order broke up, but would reduce. Coliseum's service worked for 80 per cent of the country and high-speed fibre was not necessary.
"And the Government is putting in massive infrastructure," Martin said.
"There are load issues but golf is protected because it streams down at non-peak times. We are careful about the sports we select because of that. We have thousands and thousands signed up who really enjoy the golf service."
