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260410 — AUGUSTA, April 10, 2026 — Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland reacts during the round 1 of the 2026 Masters golf tournament at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, the United States, on April 9, 2026. SPU.S.-AUGUSTA-GOLF-2026 MASTERS-ROUND 1 WuxXiaoling PUBLICATIONxNOTxINxCHN
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260410 — AUGUSTA, April 10, 2026 — Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland reacts during the round 1 of the 2026 Masters golf tournament at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, the United States, on April 9, 2026. SPU.S.-AUGUSTA-GOLF-2026 MASTERS-ROUND 1 WuxXiaoling PUBLICATIONxNOTxINxCHN
Imagine waking up in the morning, hoping to watch the Masters, and finding out that you can’t for no fault of your own. That’s the situation golf fans in Nashville faced on Saturday. While Scottie Scheffler was making an incredible comeback with a 7-under 65, Cameron Young matched him with a 65 of his own, fans in Nashville and some other parts of the country were fuming over a broadcast dispute that blocked them from watching the action live.
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The dispute has primarily impacted E. W. Scripps cable network’s Xfinity cable service and DISH Network’s satellite service users. CBS is affiliated with E.W. Scripps, a broadcast company that owns CBS-affiliated local channels. However, E.W. Scripps is embroiled in the long-standing carriage dispute with Comcast. They couldn’t come to an agreement over their contract renewal, and that completely stopped the Masters Tournament broadcast on regional affiliates.
As Clay Travis tweeted, “You’ve got to be kidding me that CBS and Comcast are in a dispute in Nashville and the Masters isn’t on. What are we doing here, guys, it’s a free channel! These channel disputes are out of control. Sports fans are getting screwed everywhere.”
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The blackout started around March 31, leaving viewers who rely on local channels hamstrung. Golf is not the only sport impacted by this dispute. Neither is Nashville the only region that’s affected. The NHL game between the Florida Panthers and Ottawa Senators was dropped by Xfinity.
Another person also shared an image of the message they received while trying to access the channel. Comcast is telling its customers, “Our contract with Scripps, the owner of this channel, has expired. Scripps has refused our reasonable offers, and their demands would significantly increase the price you pay. Thank you for your patience as we work to keep your channels affordable.”
You’ve got to be kidding me that CBS and Comcast are in a dispute in Nashville and the Masters isn’t on. What are we doing here, guys, it’s a free channel! These channel disputes are out of control. Sports fans are getting screwed everywhere.
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) April 11, 2026
Judging by the message, it doesn’t seem like the relationship between Comcast and Scripps is going to get any better before the Masters Tournament ends. That spells bad news for fans, many of whom are aged or don’t have the means to carry on with multiple subscriptions. And there is little sports fans can do about it.
Broadcast issues continue to spoil the Masters
Networks broadcasting the 2026 Masters Tournament were already facing a lot of criticism for the quality of content this week. Fans questioned the presence of the WWE superstar, The Miz, at Augusta National for an interview. ESPN took a lot of heat for it. Furthermore, their experimentation with bringing in Jason Kelce fell flat on its face.
“ESPN used to be Stuart Scott, Chris Berman, Rick Eisen and so many others that built careers with charisma and talent. Now they force this crap down people’s throats … and it’s not even remotely entertaining,” commented one user.
The frustration with Masters coverage stands out because the first major of the season remains one of the few tournaments where commercials don’t take precedence over actual golf. So fans remain too eager to catch the Masters on broadcast–be it on local TV or on the official app.
Now, with Comcast, fans are unable to watch the tournament at all. And they have blamed the cable network for it. Some tweets suggested that Comcast is never able to maintain good terms with any network. One of them also suggested that they might drop cable and switch to YouTube TV instead.
Other than that, they could also opt to watch the tournament on Amazon Prime Video. Augusta National came to terms with the OTT platform last year. This is the first time the tournament is being broadcast live on a digital channel.
Alternatively, fans can also catch all the action on Paramount+. This is a direct channel to the CBS Network, which makes it a reliable source for stable streaming. Of course, those who have access to CBS can watch it there itself. It’s better than waiting for Comcast and Scripps to come to terms again.
Written by
Edited by
Parnab Bhattacharya