The season’s most exhilarating event, i.e., the Masters, was hosted by two broadcasters, CBS Sports and ESPN. But now, Fred Ridley makes a shocking new move to extend it even further. In a recent revelation, the chairman of Augusta National Golf Club added Amazon Prime Video as the third broadcaster starting from the 2026 season.
Talking about the new move, he said, “We are proud of our longstanding partnerships with CBS Sports and ESPN, which have set the highest standard for broadcast coverage of the Masters. The addition of Amazon will only further our abilities to expand and enhance how the Tournament is presented and enjoyed.”
However, this was not appreciated by the golf fans, as it’s on the bare lines of commercialization, for an event with such steep tradition.
One of them wrote, “The Masters just announced that Amazon Prime Video will air two hours of coverage on Thursday and Friday of next year’s tournament. That feels like a pretty significant step in the transition from cable to streaming for a tournament that has always been so buttoned up.”
More joined writing, “Here goes the downfall of the tradition. Beginning of the end yall,” and “You know it’s a fundamental transformation when Augusta National sells out to fucking Amazon. Ughhh. Everyone has a price apparently. Or wants more money they will never spend.”
Another wrote, “Interesting. Augusta famously don’t take money for domestic rights, so bringing Prime in, rather than opening up coverage to ESPN seems like a strange move. Wonder will Sky have these 2 hours unlocked to them also?”
Even invited a jab from golf journalist James Colgan as he wrote, “MAJOR Masters TV announcement, and a serious coup for Amazon. America chooses presidents far more often than Augusta National chooses TV partners.”