The Masters Gets More TV Coverage — But It Still Isn’t That Great

In a world where nearly every sporting event, both large and small, is televised from start to finish, the Masters has long been an exception. 

But Augusta National, which controls the media rights for the tournament, announced that CBS will air an extra hour of coverage for rounds three and four. Instead of starting at 3 p.m., you’ll hear Jim Nantz say “Hello, friends” at 2 p.m. now. 

In addition, streaming service Paramount+ will have live coverage each day from noon to 2 p.m. before CBS takes over. 

CBS Sports’ multiplatform coverage of the 2025 Masters Tournament will debut five additional live hours of the third and final rounds, including two hours on Paramount+ for both rounds. pic.twitter.com/yiKv8eP0u8

— Golf on CBS ⛳ (@GolfonCBS) September 17, 2024

Augusta National Chairman Fred Ridely said:

“Alongside our friends at the network, we are pleased to extend the Tournament’s weekend coverage and ultimately deliver more live golf for Masters fans.”

In 2024, ESPN handled coverage for the first two days. Streaming service ESPN+ would show featured holes and groups starting at 8:45 a.m. each day, and ESPN would show the first two rounds from 3 to 7:30 p.m. each day.

Augusta National also announced that commercial time per hour will remain at four minutes, which is far less than at other tournaments.

Longtime fans will remember a time when only highlights of the first two rounds aired on CBS. So while it still seems like the coverage could improve, things have at least progressed from where it used to be.

Cover Image via Alamo City Golf Trail