Sports
The Masters is Amazon Prime’s next test in live sports
Often called “a tradition unlike any other,” the Masters golf tournament has a non-traditional media partner this year.
For the first time, Amazon Prime Video will stream two hours of early round live coverage from Augusta National Golf Club on Thursday and Friday (10 a.m. Pacific) ahead of ESPN’s telecasts on cable and its streaming platform. CBS will carry the final two rounds over the weekend as it has since 1956, while the network’s streaming platform Paramount+ will have two hours of early coverage on those days.
Amazon’s piece of the Masters came after years of talks the company conducted with Augusta National while building its portfolio of live sports events which include the NFL’s Thursday Night Football package, the NBA and NASCAR in the U.S. and Champions League Soccer and Wimbledon tennis in international markets.
Live sports rights are expensive — Amazon did not disclose what it’s paying for the Masters — but the biggest events guarantee large audiences, making them less risky than high-priced investments in scripted movies and TV series.
The Masters is the favorite week of golf enthusiasts and, similar to the Super Bowl, attracts casual fans as well. Last year, the final round on Sunday averaged 12.7 million viewers on CBS according to Nielsen, the highest since 2018.
The audience level peaked in the 7 p.m. Eastern half hour when 19.5 million viewers watched Rory McIlroy win his first green jacket after topping Justin Rose in a playoff following 18 holes. The triumph was a highly emotional conclusion to the ongoing drama of McIlroy’s pursuit of a career grand slam with victories at all four of golf’s major tournaments.
Augusta National takes special care to preserve the timeless experience of watching the best golfers in the world come together on the legendary course that first hosted the event in 1934. On-site fans, or patrons as they are called, are not permitted to have mobile phones.
But the folks running Augusta National are not Luddites. The Masters web site and app — developed by longtime tournament sponsor IBM — provides video of every shot. This year, the digital platform added a video vault that provides access to final round shots from 1968 to 2025.
Augusta National has tight control over the site and its content. But expanding coverage on Amazon recognizes the need to reach new generations of fans who are streaming-first in their viewing habits.
“Younger audiences have different expectations of how sports should be consumed,” said Tim Hanlon, chief executive of The Vertere Group a media industry consulting and advisory firm. “They are accustomed to flexibility, immediacy, and platform ubiquity. By those standards, the Masters has often appeared restrained, even stubbornly so.”
The TV deals for the Masters are known for having controlling restrictions. The networks carrying the tournament are limited to four commercial minutes per hour to enhance the viewing experience.
Amazon is adhering to those same rules in its presentation, while adding the data-driven analysis it has used in other sports coverage. Jared Stacy, vice president of global live sports production for Amazon, said in a recent interview that his team will maintain the understated tone of the Masters.
“I think we see the world a lot in the same way of really being respectful of the tradition of what the Masters is, but also being willing to innovate,” Stacy said.
Amazon has been careful to make longtime sports fans comfortable as more events move to Prime Video. The hiring of veteran sportscaster Al Michaels to handle “Thursday Night Football” immediately created a comfort zone for NFL viewers.
Prime Video coverage of the Masters will go “Inside Amen Corner.”
(Prime Video)
Stacy is applying the same formula to the Masters as Amazon has tapped golf legend Jack Nicklaus for guest commentary, which coincides with the 40th anniversary of his last victory at the event. Terry Gannon, a familiar face from the Golf Channel, will lead the coverage.
Amazon is expanding on the feature that has become the most popular element of the Masters web site by providing a continuous feed of the action throughout the weekend at Amen Corner, the famously challenging stretch of holes at Augusta National. It will provide hardcore golf fans with advanced stats and golf swing analysis.
As part of the buildup to the Masters coverage, Prime Video debuted “Rory McIlroy: The Masters Wait” on March 30, a documentary on the popular golfer’s journey to his 2025 win. Additional programming matters to sports media partners as evidenced by the shout-out the project received from Augusta National Chairman Fred Ridley at his pre-tournament press conference on Wednesday.
“This film exemplifies Amazon’s dedication to bringing premium golf content to audiences worldwide,” Ridley said. “We look forward to a long relationship with Prime Video.”
While the limitations Augusta National has put on its coverage have helped make the Masters a distinctive sporting event, the rabid golf fan believes more is better.
“The mystique isn’t threatened by having more eyeballs on it,” said Bo McBrayer, co-host of the BettingPros golf podcast. “I wish I could watch every golfer hit every shot on demand, even more so at the Masters.”
Sports
Knicks crush Cavaliers in Game 2, take commanding 2-0 lead in series behind Josh Hart’s career night
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The New York Knicks didn’t need a historic comeback to take Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals from the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday.
Instead, it was a dominant victory in regulation, 109-93, as the Knicks take a commanding 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series to Cleveland this weekend.
There was no hangover for the Cavaliers to begin the game, as they owned a 27-24 lead at the end of the first quarter. But the Knicks found their way into the lead by halftime.
Josh Hart of the New York Knicks dribbles the ball against the Cleveland Cavaliers during the third quarter in Game Two of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals at Madison Square Garden in New York City on May 21, 2026. (Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
It was the third quarter where New York started to pull away, getting the lead up to 18 points as the Madison Square Garden crowd went ballistic. The Knicks went on an 18-0 run at one point as well, which was reminiscent of Game 1’s fourth-quarter comeback.
However, Cleveland wasn’t letting off the gas despite the deficit. The Cavaliers cut the 18-point lead in half with around 8:30 left in the fourth quarter, as New York struggled to buy a basket.
KNICKS STORM BACK TO SHOCK CAVS IN GAME 1 AS JAMES HARDEN’S DEFENSIVE PLAY COMES UNDER SCRUTINY
But once OG Anunoby knocked down a three-pointer from the left wing, things were back to normal for the Knicks crowd.
Mikal Bridges, who had a stellar night on both ends of the floor, hit a wide-open three with 6:12 remaining in the fourth that got the lead back up to 13 for the Knicks, and they would coast from there.
Karl-Anthony Towns of the New York Knicks celebrates after making a basket against the Cleveland Cavaliers during the third quarter in Game Two of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals at Madison Square Garden in New York City on May 21, 2026. (Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
Jalen Brunson, the team’s All-Star point guard, was phenomenal in the comeback on Tuesday night, dropping 38 points. But Cleveland made their game plan known right away in this matchup, putting pressure on him to the point where he’d be giving up the rock in double-teams.
As a result, the Cavaliers were fine with Josh Hart taking shots instead. While the plan seemed to work in the first half a bit, Hart found his groove in the second and set a new career high with a team-high 26 points on 10-of-21 shooting, including 5-of-11 from three-point range. He also got on the board with seven assists, four rebounds and two steals.
Meanwhile, Brunson tallied 19 points and dished out a playoff career-high 14 assists for New York. And once again, Karl-Anthony Towns recorded a double-double with 18 points and 13 rebounds, playing efficiently for Mike Brown’s Knicks.
With the lead back up to 18 for the Knicks, all starters were pulled with under two minutes to play, as the crowd gave their squad a standing ovation for a job well done.
The Knicks shot 52% from the field and only saw 14 foul shots all game long, but they held the Cavaliers to just 39% shooting as a team. Cleveland also failed to capitalize on key free throws late in the game, as they were in the bonus with over nine minutes to play. As a team, they shot just 69% (22-of-32) from the charity stripe.
Jalen Brunson of the New York Knicks dribbles against the Cleveland Cavaliers during the third quarter in Game Two of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals at Madison Square Garden in New York City on May 21, 2026. (Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
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Evan Mobley also had 14 points in the first half, but he curiously didn’t take a single shot in the second half for Cleveland. Donovan Mitchell matched Hart’s 26 points, though he shot 8-of-18. James Harden also went 6-of-15 for 18 points.
With the win, the Knicks have now won nine straight playoff games.
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SOUTHERN SECTION SOFTBALL PLAYOFFS
(Games at 3:15 p.m. unless noted)
SATURDAY’S SCHEDULE
Semifinals
DIVISION 1
La Habra at Etiwanda
JSerra at Norco
DIVISION 2
Whittier Christian at St. Paul
San Clemente at Mater Dei
DIVISION 3
North Torrance at Great Oak
Riverside Prep at Dos Pueblos
DIVISION 4
Oxnard at Monrovia
Burbank Burroughs at Mission Viejo
DIVISION 5
Patriot at Grace
Covina at Northwood
DIVISION 6
Granite Hills at Irvine
Hesperia Christian at Arroyo
DIVISION 7
Ramona Convent at Faith Baptist
Cathedral City at Edgewood
DIVISION 8
San Bernardino at Workman
Capistrano Valley Christian at Arroyo Valley
Note: Finals May 28-30 at Bill Barber Memorial Park, Irvine.
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William Davis, the football player for the Sam Houston State Bearkats who transferred to the school after playing one year with the West Virginia Mountaineers, reportedly died from a gunshot wound to the chest.
The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Virginia said it’s unclear whether it’s a homicide, and that the manner of Davis’ death is pending, according to TMZ.
Sam Houston State head coach Phil Longo released a statement on Sunday confirming the 22-year-old’s death.
William Davis participating in spring workouts at Sam Houston State. (Sam Houston State University)
“It is with heavy hearts that we mourn the loss of Will Davis,” Longo said in a statement. “Will was a beloved member of our Bearkat football family here at Sam Houston who touched the lives of everyone he knew.
“Will was an upbeat, positive, passionate young man who will be sincerely missed. Tanya, the kids and I are praying for Will’s family during this difficult time.”
Davis began his college career at Virginia Union, playing 19 games and recording five interceptions and one touchdown. Following the 2024 season, he transferred to West Virginia and played in one game for them.
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Former Western Virginia Mountaineers defensive back William Davis died in May 2026. (West Virginia University)
Davis graduated from West Virginia with a master of science in sports management in 2025. He was set to compete for a roster spot at Sam Houston State, and said the campus felt like home.
“Sam Houston felt like home from the moment I first set foot on campus,” he said, via Nilson Sports. “As a Virginia kid that had played every snap of football in my life within driving distance of home, it was important to me that I’d play somewhere where I fit seamlessly into the culture if I was going to be so distant geographically.”
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“The ability to play for Coach Dovonte Edwards, someone with experience playing in the NFL that can show me the blueprint of what it looks like to become the type of player who can achieve success at the highest level, was a motivating factor for me as well.”
Fox News’ Ryan Gaydos contributed to this report.
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