Is the Masters televised in Italy

Tell him to TIVO it. That is why they invented TIVO. You are going to Europe to avoid these things. Seriously, cable TV is as big in Europe as it is here with lots of sports channels. I don't think anyone here would know the station or channel because it will vary from country to country or even city to city. And the time difference probably will cause a tape delay. Good luck.

Mmm each to their own, but Frank's right, cable is just as popular in Europe. No doubt you will have a couple of the US channels available at your hotel so just check with them when you check in. Or if it really is imperative you know email them now to check.

Tell him he can watch the Masters anytime, but how many opportunities will he have to enjoy romantic walks, dinners and/or gondola rides with you if you're going to Venice, appreciate the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel or see David and climb to the top of the Duomo in Florence. Also, I truly hope you find time for Vernazza in the Cinqie Terre, the most romantic of all. I agree with the first responder; TIVO it or get a friend to record all four days, do not look at a TV or read a newspaper throughout all of your trip and watch it straight through (speeding past the commercials) when you return, and it will be like it is live.

For me last fall it was all of that while taping football games that when I got back were of no comparison to what I shared in those places with my wife and her mother. Priorities, priorities, priorities!!!!!

The Eurosport channel will proboly be carrying the tournament; its available at most hotels. Or if your bringing a laptop or PDA/smartphone with you, you could watch it via a Slingbox. www.slingbox.com

Tell your husband I understand. It's the Masters, for crying out loud! Go sightseeing all day Sunday and then plant him somewhere late at night when it will be on. Cheer for Tiger!

Right on Kent!!!

yes, cable may be all over Europe, but many of the hotels we've stayed at in Italy (hotels we were very happy with) had limited cable, so no golf. I wouldn't count on watching it while you're there.

Kent - loved your response; I'll make sure NOT to share it with my wife!

Laura, Believe it or not, you husband "may" be able to see the Masters Live in Italy - but not at his hotel. Many major US sporting events are carried live at bars throughout Rome (or Italy). Friends of mine reserved a table to watch the Superbowl this year in Trastevere - of course it started at 12:30 AM!

The NBA is big over here and I've watched games - again, early in the morning, while sitting at a bar. I would imagine that, yes, somewhere you could find the Masters... but if it finishes up about 7 PM EST that's about 2 AM our time.

This year the NCAA tournament is being televised on the web, so we can see the games live! Gotta love technology! I'm not sure if CBS will do the same with the Masters... Most US programming, like series TV, is NOT allowed to be broadcast here. All majot network websites read your ISP and deny you access.

It's Italy, tell him to break out the TIVO!

My advice (use a Slingbox) circumvents the web site/ip blocking problem. Slingboxes let you connect from you laptop or PDA/Smartphone to your Tivo/DVR/Cable Box/Satellite Box at your house. I've used it all around the world(even China) and it works great. Its very decadent! www.slingbox.com

I share his passion for the Masters. It may or may not be on TV in Europe but if it is it will be later because of the time difference. I could not get much information at all on the U.S. Open in 2004. Finally heard the announcement of the winner on the radio on our car on Monday. That was 4 years ago so maybe it has changed.

Don't listen to Doug. Cheer for Phil! :)

Thank you everyone for your replies! Your feedback was much appreciated--by both of us--but mostly me!!! What a wonderful resource this site is!!!

Remember that their is a 6 hour time difference in Italy. For crying out loud, forget the masters for one year and tell him to enjoy an unforgetable trip that he may never have the chance to do again. If golf is more important than spending time with his wife on a beautiful trip, I'd lose him in Italy!!! (only joking)!

Laura, last night CBS “televised” the NCAA championship game online. I got up at 3 AM and started my WM Recorder (allows me to “record” streaming video) then went back to bed! This morning I watched the entire game!

And yes, they will do a similar broadcast for the Masters. The link is:

http://cbs.sportsline.com/golf/masters/video

This will not be the entire telecast – there are three choices; Amen Corner, Holes 15 & 16, and the Masters Extra: “Full-field online coverage from CBSSports.com and the crew at CBS Sports.” (whateer that is??)

For those of us living over here, the web is more and more becoming the link to sporting events in the USA.

Of course your husband still has to find a computer at 1 AM in the morning… Sorry to be the bearer of bad news!

I totally agree with your husband! I'm in Rome now, and while the weather is nice, I'd rather be watching the tournament from a comfortable couch back home. I've had three days of dragging two bored kids around the Vatican, Colosseum, Forum, Pantheon and half a dozen other churches and monuments amid mobs of tourists. The flat we rented near Trevi Fountain, for US$300 per night, is a tiny dump (thanks, Velvet). The 'kitchen' is a hot plate, the kids bed a pull-out sofa with a paper-thin mattress, and you can't turn around in the shower. Worst of all, the parade of drunk Italians, Vespas and traffic is non-stop outside our unsoundproofed window, so I'm averaging two hours of sleep a night. Although I have travelled the world for 20 years for business and holiday, I still find myself getting ripped off at every turn by the friendly Romans - E25 for what should have been a E10 taxi from Termini (and from the taxi queue, not a tout), restaurants overcharging, a shocking E48 for two adults and a 6- and 9-year old to tour the Coloseum, while kids of EU citizens are free. Last time I checked it was the Americans who liberated this damn country, not the French! The food has been good, but pricier than London and even I get tired of pasta after eight days in Italy. I'm pretty well done with this place.

In search of somewhere to watch the Masters, I naturally turned to the Irish pubs. But last night I had to walk to three different ones before finding one that carried Setanta Ireland (apparently it is on BBC2, but no one gets that here). And of course most of the pubs are showing football. But finally I found Finnegan's, at 66 Via Leonina, near the Cavour Metro. Send your husband there, it starts at 10pm (but no TV sound, just fiddly-diddly music all night).

Remember, Rome has been here for millenia, but there is only one Masters tournament a year! Next time I'll be sure to check the calendar before booking flights.

The Grouchy Traveler

matt,

I'm sorry to hear things haven't worked out the way you expected in Rome. We travelled there in June 08 with two kids. High season, our appartment 3 minutes away from the colosseum was 150 Euro/night and absolutely quiet. Granted, my then 10 year old really hated the Forum Romanum (hot, dusty, very poor audio guide) but loved the colosseum and wasn't bored in the Vatican.

What's even more interesting: we went on a trip to the US over spring break March 09 and when we toured through Washington it was Rome that was constantly on our mind! It was our youngest who immediatly had the right answer when the guide at the National Archives asked the people waiting in the line what Roman building the Rotunda was modelled after - the Pantheon. And when we walked through the sculpture garden of the Hirschhorn museum we immediatly recognized Arnaldo Pomodoro's Sphere no. 6 and compared it with the much larger sphere we saw at the Vatican.

In terms of cost we certainly didn't feel ripped of in either places. Though accommodation was a lot cheaper in Italy than in the US and food slightly cheaper in Italy. We did appreciate the free entry to museums in Washington very much, but those in NY didn't charge any less then the ones in Rome. And that's not because our kids are EU citiens and didn't pay in many places. They still paid full price at the Vatican which is not part of the EU.

Yes, Europeans certainly do remember the liberation and even more so remember the benefits of the Marshall Plan. My father is too young to remember much of WWII but he told me many stories about the CARE packages. I'm surprised that few Americans know about the latter. However, today's huge cost of maintaining the historic sites of Italy (and other cultural heritage sites in Europe) are subsidized to a large extend through taxes paid by all EU countries. The taxes my father pays to the German government contributed to his grandkids' free entry to the colosseum.

CNN World (or was it BBC INternational?) has a golf show on every couple days. You can catch the highlights there. Also you will probably be able to get highlights on any international news.

probably too late...but you can try the Fiddler's Elbow in Rome, Florence, or Venice. Irish Pub. The one in Florence is rather large- well, compared to the one in Venice! (Never been to Rome). Last September I watched some of the US Open tennis on some German sports channel when I was staying outside of Venice and I couldn't sleep.

Slingbox is great. I have a friend living in Belgium who lived in N. VA and he sent me one so he can get his US sports fix. He gets to watch whatever is on my cable TV here.