The creative walk-and-talks seen so far between Rory McIlroy and Justin Thomas and the US broadcast team add an interesting wrinkle between shots. Even if both players were largely disgruntled by the standard of their play at the time.
The Augusta National Women’s Amateur has provided a wonderful appetiser to the week, while the official app has proven extremely popular. Users can curate their own highlight reel of almost-live Masters highlights by starring their favourite players to watch individual shots. Yet when it comes to the start of moving day and the third round, it’s a pity to be forced to endure yawning spells between the majestic strokes of Koepka and Rahm.
Patrons make their way past the leaderboard following the suspension of play in the third round of the Masters Tournament
The Masters’ broadcast rights afford partners to show select groups, but not as part of the main broadcast until set windows of coverage open. It helps Augusta drive traffic to its website and the official app. And while this is frustrating, it is arguably refreshing for an event not eager to prioritise profits, with their one-year rolling deal with long-time American network partner CBS further evidence of its desire to retain ultimate control.
The tradition and restrictions would be more palatable though if the leaders were not completely hidden, including Koepka, Rahm and Bennett in the featured groups immediately would have certainly turned the volume down on the growing discontent. A ban on phones and other quirky rules are fine, yet this rigid approach to broadcasting feels like an act of sabotage.
But clearly Augusta is doing just fine with the current system, even if it’s not perfect for fans. See Scottie Scheffler’s 2022 win and an average of 10.17 million viewers in the United States, according to Sports Media Watch. That was the largest golf broadcast since Tiger Woods’ miraculous victory in 2019 (10.8 million).
Brooks Koepka leads the Masters on Sunday
That figure dwarfs the audiences tuning in for the other two US-based majors with the PGA Championship on CBS and NBC’s U.S. Open each attracting approximately 5.27 million viewers last year, while NBC’s Open coverage landed just 4.725 million viewers.
ANGC may bemoan the exceptional weather experienced in recent hours, but a simple fix and greater flexibility to next year’s broadcasting agreements can further enhance the Masters brand, endearing itself to a loyal fanbase.
Jon Rahm of Spain plays his shot from the 18th tee
Recommended
Augusta’s famous SubAir system, used to artificially extract moisture from the course and adjust the speed of the greens, was not enough to resist such a deluge this week. Mother Nature appears to have exposed a vulnerability to the Masters machine and provided a painful lesson.
Veteran broadcaster Jim Nantz famously remarked that the tournament was “a tradition unlike any other”. That commitment will now be tested after such disappointment.
Source: Read Full Article
