Amazon debuts Masters golf coverage as its fourth-ever media partner
Key Points
- Amazon Prime Video could have two hours of unique Masters golf match coverage, from 1-3 pm ET, on Thursday and Friday.
- Amazon won’t have any tie-ins with its e-commerce enterprise in the course of the broadcast. Rather, it should adhere by the Masters’ strict broadcasting guidelines.
- Amazon is simply the fourth media partner in Masters historical past, becoming a member of CBS, USA Network and ESPN.
A model of this text first appeared within the CNBC Sport e-newsletter with Alex Sherman, which brings you the most important information and unique interviews from the worlds of sports activities enterprise and media. Sign as much as obtain future editions, straight to your inbox. The sporting world’s consideration turns to Augusta, Georgia, on Thursday with Round 1 of the Masters golf match. For the primary time, viewers can discover reside coverage of the match on Amazon Prime Video. Amazon has unique reside coverage of the occasion from 1-3 pm ET on Thursday and Friday throughout Rounds 1 and a pair of. For all 4 days of the match, Prime Video will produce reside coverage of Amen Corner, the famed eleventh, twelfth and thirteenth holes at Augusta. Amazon’s “Inside Amen Corner” will function superior stats and bespoke digicam angles designed to present the viewer a have a look at how totally different gamers assault the three holes strategically. The streamer may even have coverage of the fifteenth and sixteenth holes for all 4 days and showcase sure featured teams, though it won’t produce that content material. Amazon is the fourth-ever media partner for Augusta National, following Paramount’s CBS; Versant-owned USA Network, from 1982 via 2007; and Disney’s ESPN. Last 12 months, the Masters, which is led by Chairman Fred Ridley, introduced Paramount+ into the fold with two hours of unique streaming coverage on Saturday and Sunday from midday till 2 pm ET. That may even carry over into this 12 months. The worth of proudly owning a slice of Masters rights for Amazon will not be as simple as for different sports activities properties. Typically, sports activities serve a number of functions for Amazon. They add worth to Amazon Prime, they usually connect with Amazon’s e-commerce enterprise, which incorporates sports activities attire and merchandise. They additionally herald greater promoting charges, since — not like most different programming on Prime Video or peer streaming providers — sports activities are watched reside. It’s doable the Masters will convey some new subscribers to Prime Video, however the actual worth for Amazon is the halo impact. Owning even a number of hours of unique Masters coverage lifts the worth of Prime Video’s complete sports activities portfolio. On the e-commerce entrance, the Masters is about as anti-commercial as any sporting occasion in historical past. Commercials in the course of the broadcast, that are restricted to about 4 minutes per hour, are solely from the Masters’ official sponsors — IBM, AT&T, Bank of America and Mercedes-Benz. Amazon will not be injecting something into the streaming broadcast to focus on its e-commerce enterprise, an individual accustomed to the matter informed CNBC. To do enterprise with Augusta National, Amazon has to play by the membership’s guidelines. Part of that settlement contains assurances from Amazon that coverage of the printed would preserve that pristine, conventional picture, stated the individual, who requested to not be named as a result of the discussions had been personal. “We look forward to a long relationship with Prime Video,” Ridley stated Wednesday throughout his annual Masters press convention. “We do need to be looking at nontraditional ways to be promoting the tournament but more so promoting golf.” Ridley acknowledged a “tension” between respecting custom and innovating and stated Augusta wrestles with it every year. I’ve cited the membership’s resolution to have YouTube creators Dude Perfect play frisbee at Amen Corner in 2022 as an instance of Augusta’s willingness to attempt various things to succeed in new audiences. “In retrospect, I like those guys, but that may not have been the best idea,” stated Ridley. “But thematically, we’re certainly willing to look outside the box every once in a while.” Amazon’s main coverage on Days 1 and a pair of will look similar to that of ESPN and CBS. “They’re clearly optimizing for the right fan experience, what they think is the right broadcast experience, to build something incredibly valuable for the long term,” Prime Video’s head of sports activities Jay Marine informed The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand final 12 months after Amazon introduced its Masters deal. Still, it is clear the Masters desires streaming companions as a part of the viewing expertise. And for Amazon’s half, it should get knowledge on how golf performs on the service. Amazon dipped its toe into golf on Black Friday with a Skins Game that includes Keegan Bradley, Xander Schauffele, Tommy Fleetwood and Shane Lowry. Given Amazon’s seemingly unfettered need for main sports activities properties, Prime Video will probably be out there for extra golf — if its streaming viewers responds. Disclosure: CNBC and USA Network are divisions of Versant Media.
