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Mastering The Masters

Mastering The Masters

April 17, 2025

Things You Didn’t Know About The Masters

What an incredible year for the Masters Tournament. I’ve seen so many TikToks this year talking about what makes this tournament so special, but I’ve realized a few things people haven’t mentioned that I wanted to share in this week’s Night Light. Even if you’re not an avid golf fan, I think you’ll find this edition interesting.

Congrats to Rory for his Grand Slam.

How The Masters Maintains Leverage So They Can Make Every Decision

One of the biggest reasons the Masters is able to maintain so much control over the tournament is that CBS doesn’t pay to broadcast it. Instead, Augusta National licenses out the broadcast rights and allows CBS to distribute it. Augusta National handles production, broadcasting, and handpicks a few very well-known sponsors. These sponsors cover the entire cost of the broadcast, which allows Augusta to avoid selling traditional broadcast rights.

One thing I’ve seen everyone talking about on TikTok is how Augusta generates the majority of its revenue from merchandise sales—an estimated $70 million during tournament week alone. It’s unclear how much they make in merch revenue outside of Masters week. I’ve also seen so many TikToks covering the infamous food menu—the prices are still the same as they were 25 years ago, with no plans of ever changing.

Pimento cheese sounds nice right now.

Another thing I found interesting is what the broadcasters of The Masters are and aren’t allowed to say. It’s never “fans”—they’re “patrons”. And “back nine” is always “second nine”. The idea is to make it feel timeless and preserve the sport’s rich history. The Masters sticks to its tradition—and that’s exactly why it stands out.

Creators Had More Access This Year

Every year, I’ve noticed more content from creators at Augusta National. In 2023, Dude Perfect documented the event; this year, I’m seeing even more TikToks from creators. Phones—typically banned for patrons—were allowed in certain areas for select invited guests. I saw content from inside the merch tent, drone shots of the course, and vlogs all over my TikTok feed. It felt like this year, the Masters allowed more filming than ever before.

This Night Light is sponsored by pimento cheese.

Where Can They Improve For Next Year?

I don’t want to go on a rant about the broadcast, but every year I go on Twitter and see people complaining that they’re not getting to watch any of the morning rounds of the tournament because Augusta National doesn’t start broadcasting until 2 p.m. If you wanted to see Bryson on Friday or Saturday, you probably couldn’t. The broadcast begins hours after play starts, and even with the Masters app, you’re stuck watching holes 13 and 14 and a single featured group.

The Big Takeaway…

It’s always been interesting to me how the Masters has managed to stay largely unchanged throughout my entire life. Aside from a small concession allowing a few select people limited access to a phone, the prices of the food haven’t gone up in decades, pay phones are still how people communicate, and I’m glad they’ve been able to preserve what has made this event so special.