Follow Up on ESPN-Masters

...or is it Masters-ESPN? Anyway, I digress.

If you take a look at the press release from Augusta National concerning their new relationship with ESPN for the Thursday-Friday rounds, you start to feel bad for USA Network. As mentioned in the original post when the story broke, USA Network has been doing the early rounds for the Masters since 1982. That's a 25 year relationship that is simply fizzling away all of a sudden. No one really seemed to see this coming from what I can tell.

It makes one wonder. Why would Augusta National suddenly decide to move away from USA Network and move over to the Worldwide Leader? It may be as simple as ratings.

From Mr. Payne, Augusta National Chairman (thanks to Geoff Shackelford):

With the worldwide reach of ESPN, and their demonstrated leadership in new media, we think ESPN is uniquely positioned to showcase the Masters and golf to new audiences.

From the AP copy of the story:

In addition, ESPN Deportes will televise the first and second rounds from 4-7 p.m. ET. ESPN will also continue to televise the tournament internationally to Latin America, Canada and parts of Asia, the Middle East and Africa, as it has since 1993.

Now, read between the lines a little bit here. ESPN has been showing the Masters internationally since 1993. When I was in Costa Rica - in Latin America - earlier this year, ESPN International carried the Open Championship with the BBC feed. The BBC is not ashamed to say whatever they think in their coverage. They're biased in a way that a person like me loves, but in a way that Augusta may not like as much. (Not so far as Gary McCord, but you get the idea.)

By virtue of granting Thursday-Friday production to ESPN in English and Espanol, Augusta can guarantee their message will be heard just as they want it around the world. For a club that likes their broadcasts in a very specific way, this is the perfect situation, no? ESPN is very good at setting a tone or message for an event and having that become pervasive in all of their programming. Like it or not, ESPN and Augusta National are a perfect combination of organizations that are brilliant at creating and managing "brands," MBA speak for programming.

While I am sad to see USA Network booted off of the ground for broadcasting purposes, this move makes perfect sense to the folks in Bristol, CT, and Augusta, GA.