Kisner Slams CBS Coverage
NBC analyst Kevin Kisner publicly criticized CBS’s Masters coverage for missed shots and broadcast delays during the final round. Yahoo Sports quoted Kisner’s remarks, and Geoff Shackelford’s Substack also highlighted complaints about CBS’s coverage, app problems, and the fan experience following the event. (sports.yahoo.com) (quadrilateral.substack.com)
Kevin Kisner, the lead golf analyst for National Broadcasting Company, publicly blasted Columbia Broadcasting System’s Masters telecast after the April 12 final round, saying viewers were shown shots “10 minutes ago” instead of live action. (sports.yahoo.com) Yahoo Sports reported that Kisner made the remarks on Barstool Sports’ “Fore Play” podcast after working the week at Augusta National for SiriusXM, and said he texted Columbia Broadcasting System announcer Colt Knost during the round because he could not tell what the network was doing. (sports.yahoo.com) The complaints centered on missed shots and lagging coverage during Rory McIlroy’s win, including confusion on the 18th hole when television viewers did not clearly see key approach shots and the winning tap-in. (sports.yahoo.com) Geoff Shackelford wrote in his “Cut Makers” newsletter that the criticism extended beyond the main telecast to problems with the Masters app and the on-site fan experience after the tournament. (quadrilateral.substack.com) The backlash grew because the final round drew one of the event’s biggest television audiences in years. Columbia Broadcasting System said Sunday’s broadcast averaged 13.995 million viewers and peaked above 20 million, the largest final-round audience at Augusta since 2015. (sports.yahoo.com) Jim Nantz, Columbia Broadcasting System’s lead Masters anchor, defended the production this week while acknowledging mistakes. He said on “The Pat McAfee Show” that live television is difficult and called his crew “the best in the business.” (golfweek.usatoday.com) Outside critics were harsher. Golf Digest said Columbia Broadcasting System missed six Cameron Young shots on Sunday, and Front Office Sports reported that television insiders pointed to breakdowns on the final hole as the telecast tried to follow multiple contenders at once. (golfdigest.com) (frontofficesports.com) The dispute is unusual because golf television crews rarely attack rival networks so directly during a major championship week. Kisner’s criticism landed after a Masters that produced a repeat champion, a huge audience, and a broadcast many viewers said failed to capture the biggest moments cleanly. (usatoday.com)
