The Masters — long-positioned as sports’ “tradition unlike any other” — is layering in a non-traditional new media partner with Amazon Prime Video starting in 2026.
The golf event and the streamer announced Amazon’s inclusion in the Masters’ media lineup: Two additional hours of first- and second-round coverage will be offered on Thursday and Friday of Masters week on Prime Video.
Prime Video’s broadcast from 1-3 p.m. (ET) will lead into ESPN’s broadcast coverage from 3-7:30 p.m. (ET). CBS will continue to air the Masters on Saturday and Sunday from 2-7 p.m. (ET), with live streaming from noon-2 p.m. (ET) on the CBS-affiliated Paramount+ streaming network.
Amazon has invested heavily in acquiring live-sports rights for its Prime Video platform, including NFL “Thursday Night Football” starting in 2022 and, launching this fall, NBA games on Thursday, Friday and Saturdays. Amazon also has streaming deals with the WNBA and NWSL, along with an extended portfolio of rights across other countries.
Powered by the Rory McIlroy storyline, April’s Masters Sunday got nearly 13 million viewers (up 33 percent from 2024). It was the event’s biggest TV audience since 2018, and it was Paramount+’s most-watched non-NFL sporting event ever. However, TV ratings on ESPN for the first two rounds were down 28 percent year over year for Thursday’s first round and down 14 percent in the second round compared to Friday in 2024.
“Working alongside Amazon in this capacity is an exciting opportunity for the Masters Tournament and its fans,” Augusta National Golf Club chairman Fred Ridley 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.”
What it means
One of the most interesting things about being a media rights partner with Augusta National is that the club holds all the leverage. It’s why they can dictate how the tournament is covered from a tone and language perspective.
There is no written sheet given to broadcasters on rules, but producers and on-air talent know what Augusta National’s expectations are about how things will be described.
That’s the paradigm that Prime Video walks into, and I would expect them to offer the same over-the-top reverence for the Masters as CBS and ESPN have during their coverage duration. It will also impact who Amazon hires for on-air talent. — Richard Deitsch
(Photo: Richard Heathcote / Getty Images)
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