“A tradition unlike any other, waking up on Masters Thursday only to remember it’s the worst coverage of the 4 majors and doesn’t start full coverage until 2 PM. It’s 2025, have full coverage all day like the other majors,” wrote a fan as they were left disappointed to learn that they won’t be able to catch the first few hours of the Green Jacket event. This has been the norm for every avid golf fan for ages. However, Augusta National may have struck a new deal to change that from 2026.
Watching Rory McIlroy complete the career Grand Slam was an amazing experience. But everyone in the world would have preferred catching it from the very first minute. While broadcast has always been a curse in golf, the Masters Tournament has been a different kind of hell for the fans. It’s truly prestigious for the patrons to visit Augusta National and catch every drive up close. But even those who watch it remotely deserve to gain access to everything that is happening at ANGC live.
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So when the reports of Amazon striking a deal with the iconic club came in, it must have given a fresh ray of hope to many fans. The Chairman of Augusta National said, “We are proud of our longstanding partnerships with CBS Sports and ESPN, who 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.”
Further information tweeted by The Masters official account says that, “Complementing live coverage delivered annually by @cbssports and @espn, two additional hours of the Tournament’s first and second rounds will stream live on Prime Video from 1:00 – 3:00 PM ET, Thursday and Friday.” That doesn’t mean that fans will get to see the complete action from the first couple of rounds. But it will certainly add a couple more hours of broadcast for the first two rounds of the major.
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It’s worth noting that in November last year, Augusta National had given the Amazon President & CEO, Andy Jassy, a membership to the club. He joined the elite list of members, which is touted to be around 300, alongside Jack Nicklaus, Eli Manning, and others. Perhaps having Jassy around the club might have helped them find the common ground to strike a deal.
Coming back to the deal, this is only the first step to a big change. The Masters Tournament, which is already streamed on its website, app, CBS Sports, Paramount+, and ESPN, now also has Amazon Video as another medium of access. The timings may also be restricted, but for Augusta National to outsource its streaming to another brand already shows promise.
In the link attached, the Masters Tournament website has also given a complete broadcast and streaming schedule with each partner. While Amazon Video’s streaming time is already revealed, ESPN will also broadcast the action from the first two rounds. However, they will cover the event from 3:00 P.M. to 7:30 P.M. (EST) on April 9 & 10, 2026.
Paramount+ will take over the streaming coverage for Saturday & Sunday from 12:00 noon to 2:00 P.M. (EST). The remaining coverage from 2:00 P.M. to 7:00 P.M. on April 11 & 12, 202,6 will be broadcast on the CBS Network. Alternatively, fans can also watch the tournament on the major’s website and the app. Specifics of all the broadcast and streaming information will be shared on the Masters Tournament website leading up to the tournament.
The huge deal between Augusta National Golf Club and Amazon took everyone by surprise. And many shared their honest views on what they thought of the deal. Let’s see how the world reacted to it.
Amazon & Augusta National’s deal for the Masters Tournament broadcast catches fire
Ever since Alister MacKenzie designed the Augusta National Golf Club, it has been the center of golf prestige and honors. Having said that, the club officials don’t often sign new broadcast or streaming partners. And that’s what James Colgan pointed out as he tweeted, “MAJOR Masters TV announcement, and a serious coup for Amazon. America chooses presidents far more often than Augusta National chooses TV partners.”
For context, they signed with CBS Sports in 1956 after the Chairman of the network, William Paley, shook hands with the ANGC Chairman, Clifford Roberts. That relationship has stood strong ever since. CBS Sports producer Frank Chirkinian also curated for the Masters Tournament to become the first golf event to be broadcast in color in 1966.
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Golfweek’s Cameron Jourdan also celebrated the big news as he wrote, “Rejoice, golf fans. We’re getting more TV coverage of the Masters next spring.” Everyone who has missed the first few hours of action of the Masters Tournament from Thursday & Friday will be happy that they will get 4 more hours to watch in 2026. Hopefully, Jeff Bezos or Andy Jassy can convince the ANGC officials to extend the streaming hours in the coming years and get the fans more action from the first and second rounds.
However, there were concerns among the fans that the club had sold out to the corporates. However, the way the deal is structured, giving Amazon Video limited streaming coverage, we doubt it’s really about the money.