How to Watch Masters Golf Without Cable 2026

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If you're searching for how to watch masters golf without cable, here's what you need to know upfront: the Masters splits its broadcast rights between two networks, and the streaming service you might assume carries it — ESPN+ — actually does not.

I've tested every major live TV streaming service for sports coverage over the past two years — and mapped every legitimate way to watch the 2026 Masters Tournament from Round 1 through the Sunday final round, including which options are free, which are cheapest, and exactly what you'll miss on each service.

The Masters runs April 10-13, 2026 at Augusta National. If you want to catch the pre-tournament search surge for planning purposes, bookmark this page now.

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The Masters splits rights between ESPN (Thursday-Friday) and CBS (Saturday-Sunday). Your streaming strategy depends on covering both.

Where the Masters Airs Without Cable

Before choosing a service, know the broadcast schedule:

| Round | Date | Network | Notes | |---|---|---|---| | Practice Rounds | April 7-9 | Masters.com only | Free, no cable needed | | Round 1 | Thursday, April 10 | ESPN | ~12 hours of coverage | | Round 2 | Friday, April 11 | ESPN | Featured groups + full coverage | | Round 3 | Saturday, April 12 | CBS | Afternoon to evening | | Round 4 (Final) | Sunday, April 13 | CBS | Final round + ceremony |

The critical detail: ESPN and CBS are two separate networks with two separate streaming paths. A service that has ESPN doesn't automatically have CBS — and vice versa. This split is what catches most cord-cutters off guard.

Additionally, Masters.com provides free live streaming throughout the tournament — Featured Groups coverage, Amen Corner, and the Par 3 Contest. It won't replace the full ESPN/CBS broadcast, but it's genuinely useful supplemental coverage.

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The ESPN+ Trap: Why It Won't Work

Before going further: ESPN+ does not carry live Masters coverage. This trips up more cord-cutters than any other single misunderstanding in golf streaming.

ESPN+ is a separate streaming tier from ESPN. It carries a huge library of golf content — PGA Tour Live, replays, instructional programming — but the Masters live broadcast is an ESPN network exclusive. ESPN network requires a live TV subscription, the same as cable.

If you subscribe to ESPN+ specifically for the Masters, you'll log in Thursday morning and find nothing. Don't make this mistake.

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Free Masters Streaming Options

Masters.com — Official Free Stream

Augusta National streams select Masters coverage for free on Masters.com during tournament days. Free coverage includes:

• Featured Groups — Follow specific groupings of notable players in real time
• Amen Corner — Live camera fixed at holes 11, 12, and 13
• Holes 15 and 16 — Additional featured hole cameras
• Par 3 Contest (Wednesday, April 9) — Full coverage, no paywall

What's free on Masters.com is supplemental to the main broadcast. You won't get commentary-driven hole-by-hole coverage of the full field. But for cord-cutters who specifically want to track a favorite player's round, the Featured Groups stream is legitimately useful.

OTA Antenna — Free CBS Coverage

CBS airs Rounds 3 and 4 of the Masters on broadcast television. That means you can watch Saturday and Sunday for free with an indoor TV antenna in most U.S. markets.

A decent indoor antenna runs $25-50 as a one-time purchase. Once you buy it, you watch CBS — and every other broadcast network — for free indefinitely. I use an antenna year-round for sports on FOX, NBC, and CBS, and it's paid for itself many times over. According to the FCC's TV reception guidance, over-the-air reception covers the vast majority of U.S. households for all major broadcast networks including CBS.

See our guide to best cord-cutter TV antennas for 2026 for current picks at every price point.

Limitation: OTA antenna covers CBS only. You still need a streaming option for Thursday and Friday on ESPN.

Paramount+ — CBS Streaming at $7.99/Month

Paramount+ Essential ($7.99/month) includes live CBS, which covers Masters Rounds 3 and 4. If you're already a Paramount+ subscriber, you're covered for the weekend rounds at no extra cost.

Paramount+ alone doesn't solve the ESPN problem for Rounds 1-2 — but it's the cheapest way to add CBS streaming if you don't want an antenna.

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All-in-One Streaming Services: Complete Masters Coverage

These services carry both ESPN and CBS, giving you all four rounds under a single subscription.

YouTube TV — $72.99/Month (Best All-in-One)

Try YouTube TV →

YouTube TV carries ESPN and CBS (in most markets), covering Rounds 1-4 in a single subscription. It also includes unlimited cloud DVR — critical for recording rounds when you can't watch live. The interface is clean, and the DVR integration is the best of any live TV streamer I've tested.

At $72.99/month, it's expensive for a four-day golf tournament. The value proposition improves if you're already a sports streamer year-round. In my experience, YouTube TV's DVR is the most reliable of any live TV streamer — I found it records without failures that I've occasionally seen on Sling. If the Masters is your primary use case, the cheaper options below make more sense.

Masters coverage: Round 1 ✅ | Round 2 ✅ | Round 3 ✅ | Round 4 ✅

Hulu + Live TV — $89.99/Month

Start Hulu + Live TV →

Hulu + Live TV includes ESPN and CBS with the Disney+ bundle baked in. Complete Masters coverage, solid interface, but the highest price on this list. Compare it head-to-head with YouTube TV in our YouTube TV vs. Hulu Live TV comparison if you're deciding between them.

Masters coverage: Round 1 ✅ | Round 2 ✅ | Round 3 ✅ | Round 4 ✅

FuboTV — $79.99/Month

FuboTV is a sports-focused live TV service that carries ESPN and CBS in most markets. Solid option for sports households, though pricier than Sling for Masters-only use.

Masters coverage: Round 1 ✅ | Round 2 ✅ | Round 3 ✅ | Round 4 ✅

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The Cheapest Complete Masters Setup: $40/Month

Here's the math on the most cost-effective cord-cutter approach:

| Option | Rounds 1-2 (ESPN) | Rounds 3-4 (CBS) | Monthly Cost | |---|---|---|---| | Sling Orange + OTA Antenna | Sling Orange ✅ | Free antenna ✅ | $40/month | | Sling Orange + Paramount+ | Sling Orange ✅ | Paramount+ ✅ | $47.98/month | | YouTube TV | ✅ | ✅ | $72.99/month | | Hulu + Live TV | ✅ | ✅ | $89.99/month |

Sling Orange ($40/month) includes ESPN but not CBS. Pair it with:

• An OTA antenna (free after one-time hardware purchase) for CBS weekend rounds — savings of $32.99/month versus YouTube TV
• Or Paramount+ ($7.99/month) if you prefer streaming CBS without antenna hardware

The Sling + antenna combo is $32.99/month cheaper than YouTube TV — over a four-month cord-cutting window, that's over $130 saved. The antenna pays for itself in the first month.

Start Sling Orange →

For a deeper look at Sling versus its direct competitor, see our Sling TV vs. DirecTV Stream comparison.

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Masters 2026 Schedule: Full Dates and Tee Times

| Date | Event | Network | Start Time (ET) | |---|---|---|---| | Mon-Tue, April 7-8 | Practice Rounds | Masters.com | All day, free | | Wednesday, April 9 | Par 3 Contest | Masters.com | ~3:30 PM | | Thursday, April 10 | Round 1 | ESPN | ~3:00 PM | | Friday, April 11 | Round 2 | ESPN | ~3:00 PM | | Saturday, April 12 | Round 3 | CBS | ~3:00 PM | | Sunday, April 13 | Round 4 (Final) | CBS | ~2:00 PM |

ESPN coverage each day typically includes early morning Featured Group content before the main window. Exact tee times for featured pairings are released closer to the tournament. The official Masters schedule publishes confirmed tee times and broadcast windows during tournament week. Augusta National has maintained this split broadcast structure — ESPN for early rounds, CBS for the weekend — continuously since 2008, making it one of the most consistent sports broadcast deals in golf.

Featured groups air live on Masters.com throughout each round — follow the biggest names without any subscription.

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How to Watch Masters Golf Without Cable: My Recommendation

After testing every option across multiple golf tournaments, Sling Orange + OTA antenna is the best combination for most cord-cutters:

• Rounds 1-2 (ESPN): Sling Orange at $40/month covers it
• Rounds 3-4 (CBS): Free OTA antenna covers it
• Free supplemental coverage: Masters.com Featured Groups, Amen Corner cameras

If you don't have an antenna and don't want one, swap in Paramount+ ($7.99/month) for CBS coverage — total cost $47.98/month, still $25 cheaper than YouTube TV.

If you want zero-friction all-in-one coverage and don't care about the price difference, YouTube TV handles everything cleanly for $72.99/month with unlimited DVR.

Pros and cons of the budget approach: The main benefit of Sling + antenna is $32.99/month in savings with no meaningful loss in picture quality or coverage. The downside is setup friction — Sling's 50-hour DVR limit and the antenna hardware require more management than YouTube TV's plug-and-play experience. If you hate managing devices or live in a poor reception area, YouTube TV at $72.99/month is the better choice. Neither option is wrong — it depends on how much you value simplicity versus savings.

Whatever you choose: don't buy ESPN+. It won't carry a single Masters shot.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can I watch the Masters on my phone without cable?

Yes — use the ESPN app with a Sling, YouTube TV, or Hulu + Live TV subscription for Rounds 1-2. For Rounds 3-4 on CBS, use the CBS app or Paramount+ (with a login). Masters.com also has a mobile-friendly Featured Groups stream for free.

Does DirecTV Stream carry the Masters?

Yes. DirecTV Stream's Entertainment plan ($79.99/month) includes ESPN and CBS. Compare it with other options using our Sling TV vs. DirecTV Stream guide.

What's the difference between Masters.com streaming and the ESPN/CBS broadcast?

Masters.com shows alternate camera angles — Featured Groups, Amen Corner, specific holes. The ESPN and CBS broadcasts include announcers, scoring graphics, full-field coverage, and the signature Augusta production. Both are worth having during a round if you want to track specific players while watching the main leaderboard coverage.

Will the Masters be on streaming next year?

Rights deals shift. ESPN and CBS have long-term Masters agreements in place through the late 2020s, so the current split broadcast structure is expected to remain stable. Check back as the tournament approaches each year for any updates to the streaming landscape.

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For more cord-cutting sports guides, see our coverage of how to watch live sports without cable and how to watch March Madness without cable 2026.