A timeline of TV firsts at the Masters, from first telecast to color TV to live streaming
Todd Kelly- The first time the Masters was televised was in 1956.
- The 1966 Masters was the first golf tournament to be aired in color.
For a place steeped in tradition, Augusta National Golf Club has been at the forefront of innovation.
The Masters started in 1934 and the 2025 edition will mark the 70th time it was televised. Along the way came color TV, cable television and streaming.
In 2025, there will be an additional hour of live coverage on CBS during Saturday's third round plus two hours of exclusive coverage on streaming partner Paramount+ of the third and final rounds.
Here's a walk through time of some of the biggest developments in how what many consider to be the best tournament in golf has been delivered to fans at home.
TV innovations at the Masters, 1956-2025
In 1956, the Masters was first broadcast on television. The coverage was limited to just holes Nos. 15-18. CBS, in its first year televising the event, used six cameras, all of them black-and-white. It would be the start of the longest-running partnership in sports, as 2025 will mark the 70th straight year.
In 1959, Frank Chirkinian produces the first of his 38 Masters at CBS Sports.
In 1965, a television studio was built in the then-one-year-old Butler Cabin.
In 1966, the Masters becamse the first golf tournament to be broadcast in color.
In 1967, the BBC carried the first overseas broadcast of the Masters.
In 1970, fans at home saw more than the final four holes, as TV coverage was extended to No. 13.
Three years later, in 1973, the 12th hole, aka Golden Bell, aka perhaps the most famous par 3 on earth, was first shown on live TV. Also in 1973, the Masters is first broadcast (although on a delay) in Japan.
In 1982, there were two significant changes. For the first time, the first and second rounds were on TV, and, the coverage was on a cable TV channel, the USA Network. This marked the first golf tournament to be carried on cable TV.
In 1986, Jim Nantz, age 26, worked his first Masters for CBS.
In 1988, Nantz was promoted to the role of host at age 28. It's a job he's held ever since.
In 1996, Masters.com is launched, welcoming the dawn of the digital age for the tournament.
In 2000, the Masters becomes the first golf tournament to be shown in high-definition on network television.
In 2002 came the day fans had been waiting for, as CBS televised coverage of all 18 holes of the final round for the first time.
In 2006, the official Masters website teams up with cbssportsline.com with the debut of "Amen Corner Live", with 22 hours of live coverage of the four rounds.
In 2008, ESPN took over as the cable partner for live coverage of the first and second rounds. That same year, the Par 3 Contest was live for the first time, also on ESPN.
The 2010 Masters was the first to be produced in 3D on TV and the internet, the first of any major sporting event.
The year 2011 saw the debut of the official Masters app.
In 2016, the Masters became the first live sporting event in the U.S. to be produced in 4K.
In 2025, one hour was added to Saturday's live coverage on CBS (now 2 p.m. ET to 7 p.m. ET), which matches the CBS coverage window of Sunday's final round. Fans at home will be able to see all 18 holes of the leaders both weekend days for the first time.
Also in 2025, two hours of early-round coverage of the weekend rounds will be shown exclusively on Paramount+ (noon ET to 2 p.m. ET). When CBS takes over at 2 p.m. ET, Paramount+ will again have simulcast the coverage on CBS.
“The Masters Tournament has had the great fortune of enjoying an extraordinary relationship with CBS Sports for nearly 70 years," said Ridley in a press release. “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."