ESPN has obtained the rights to air the first two rounds of The Masters in 2008. This marks the first time that Augusta National has changed television partners for its marquee event.
ESPN will air three-hour windows of coverage at 4:00 PM ET on the first Thursday and Friday of the event, with replays scheduled to air from 8:00 to 11:00. Already, one sports program is a casualty of the new deal; ESPN’s April 11 Bulls/Cavaliers NBA telecast will likely move to ESPN2 or be removed from the schedule.
The addition of The Masters gives ESPN the rights to portions of three of the four major events in golf. ESPN has the rights to the first two rounds of The Masters and the U.S. Open, while ESPN on ABC has the rights to the third and fourth rounds of The British Open.
Augusta National is fiercely protective of how it is portrayed, especially on television. From the banning of Gary McCord from the CBS broadcast team to restrictions on the amount of hours networks can broadcast the event, The Masters is one of the few sporting events that completely dictates how it is covered. With that in mind, do not expect to see The Masters get the ESPN treatment. More than likely, ESPN will not be allowed to use its typical graphics, display the BottomLine, or promote other programs. While ESPN’s Mike Tirico will host the telecasts, CBS Sports personalities will broadcast the event.
Despite the lack of freedom in broadcasting The Masters, the event strengthens an already impressive ESPN sports line-up, and gives the network an April where it will air The Masters, the NBA Playoffs and the NFL Draft.
