Sadly for terrestrial TV golf fans, the BBC's golfing days are numbered if not gone forever. 2020 marked the first time since 1955 that the BBC showed precisely zero live Major championship golf on our television screens.
The good old days
Viewers of a particular vintage will fondly remember Steve Rider’s hair blowing about in the wind in the BBC’s open-sided Augusta booth, with Peter Alliss deliciously describing iconic moments like Sandy Lyle’s 7-iron in 1988 as the ball trundled back down the slope to makeable range – “this could spin; this could go”.
Even in 2019, there was sufficient live coverage over the weekend for non-Sky customers to get a more than healthy fix of Tiger’s remarkable victory.
But from 2020, nothing, I’m afraid. So, why is the Masters not on BBC this year? It's because, in 2019, Sky signed an exclusive deal with Masters tournament officials.
So this year, if you want to watch live coverage of The Masters in the UK, it will only be via Sky Sports. It will be showing live coverage of all four days on its Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports The Masters channels. There's also an official app featuring a live blog, live updates from Amen Corner, rolling highlights, and featured groups. You'll also find an archive full of footage from past Masters Tournaments and other special features.
If you don’t have Sky, don’t despair - a Now TV Sky Sports Pass is an excellent alternative for those who don’t want to commit to a long-term contract.
You can get a day pass giving you access to all 11 Sky Sports Channels, which will stream on pretty much every modern device.
At the time of writing, the prices were £11.98 for a day pass.
BBC TV highlights and live radio
BBC will still offer TV highlights packages, however.
These will go out at the following times on BBC Two, BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport website and mobile app:
Friday 8th - Round One highlights 12.15am
Saturday 9th - Round Two highlights 12.05am
Sunday 10th - Round Three highlights tbc
Monday 11th - Final Round highlights tbc
-
'There Are Other Teams And My Agent Is Talking' - Eugenio Chacarra Hoping To Find New LIV Golf TeamThe Spaniard finished in 'The Open Zone' following the 2024 LIV Golf season, and is hoping his recent run of form can land him a place in a side for 2025
-
Quiz! Can You Name Every DP World Tour Rookie Of The Year?This award was founded in 1960. How many of the recipients can you name in 15 minutes?
-
Why Tiger Woods’ Masters Week Was Actually A Huge SuccessWoods finished last at an event in which he made the cut for just the third time in his near-30-year pro career at The 2024 Masters - but looking at the result here is too short-sighted...
-
What Golf Shoe Does Bryson Dechambeau Wear?DeChambeau has worn many pairs of golf shoes throughout his career, with the American currently wearing the FootJoy HyperFlex Carbon
-
The Masters Azalea Cocktail Recipe: How To Make The Famous Augusta National DrinkThanks to the Masters’ official pinterest page, we now know how to make the famous cocktail the right way
-
The 2018 Fairway Wood Tiger Woods Is Using At The MastersDespite being an older model, the 15-time Major winner has kept the TaylorMade M3 fairway wood in his bag for over six years and continues to use it at Augusta National
-
What Golf Shoes Is Camilo Villegas Wearing At The Masters?The multiple-time PGA Tour winner was seen wearing a pair of eye-catching Nike Air Jordan shoes whilst paired with Rory McIlroy during the third round at Augusta National
-
Who Has Won The Most Money At The Masters?Jack Nicklaus has won the most Green Jackets in history and Tiger Woods is the most successful champion in the modern era - but the answer is neither of those two...
-
Who Has Made The Most Consecutive Cuts At The Masters?Tiger Woods is chasing a record-breaking 25th consecutive cut at the 2024 Masters
-
Who Gives The Green Jacket If There's A Back-To-Back Winner Of The Masters?Traditionally, the previous winner of The Masters hands the new champion the Green Jacket - here's what happens when there's a back-to-back winner
