DirecTV Adds The Masters, 25 MLB Network Showcase Games to 4K/UHD Slate
Amen Corner and holes 15 and 16 to get 4K treatment
Story Highlights
AT&T’s DirecTV continues to build its upcoming schedule of live 4K/UHD sports programming, announcing that The Masters and up to 25 MLB Network Showcase games will be carried on DirecTV’s dedicated live 4K channel, Channel 106, in the coming months.
The Masters in 4K
As noted on the Upcoming Events in 4K page on DirecTV.com, the satcaster will deliver live 4K coverage from Augusta National’s Amen Corner (holes 11, 12, and 13) and holes 15 and 16 April 6-9. Last April, CBS and DirecTV’s 4K production at Amen Corner served as the inaugural event for DirecTV’s live 4K Channel.
This marks DirecTV’s latest 4K golf outing, following last year’s Masters, U.S. Open, PGA Championship, and Byron Nelson Classic tournaments and last month’s Pebble Beach Pro-Am .
To view the 4K coverage, subscribers must have a Genie HD DVR (model HR54 or later), a 4K-ready TV (or a 4K TV connected to a 4K Genie Mini), a Select programming package or higher, 4K account authorization, and professional installation by a DirecTV technician.
Masters.com will also once again stream 4K coverage of the tournament, featuring live feeds of the practice facilities, Amen Corner, the 15th and 16th holes, and several featured groups.
MLB Network Showcase Games in 4K
For the second year in a row, DirecTV will deliver a full lineup of MLB Network Showcase games live in 4K on Channel 106. The first of up to 25 4K games to appear on DirecTV will see the World Champion Chicago Cubs take on the St. Louis Cardinals on April 4. The partnership builds on MLB Network and DirecTV’s 25-game package of 4K MLB productions last year.
“The DirecTV and MLB Network 4K team knocked it out of the park last year with extraordinary coverage,” says Dan York, chief content officer, AT&T Entertainment Group. “We’re bringing the 4K/UHD experience back for MLB fans this season, so they can enjoy the games almost as much as if they were there.”
Says MLB Network President Rob McGlarry, “Last year’s 4K production with DirecTV put MLB Network at the forefront of implementing new technology. We’re excited to work together again to elevate our MLB Network Showcase telecasts for DirecTV customers throughout the 2017 regular season.”
The 4K telecasts will be available to customers with the Choice package or higher. As TVAnswerMan.com notes, the Choice package is roughly $25 more per month than the Select. DirecTV recently changed the minimum package required for 4K Channel 106 to Select, but the MLB Network 4K games will not fall under these terms.
The schedule of MLB Network Showcase games in 4K/UHD starts with the following:
- 4/4 – Cubs @ Cardinals
- 4/12 – Dodgers @ Cubs
- 4/21 – Nationals @ Mets
- 4/27 – Yankees @ Red Sox
- 4/28 – Cubs @ Red Sox
In addition to The Masters and MLB Network Showcase games, DirecTV live 4K sports programming includes a pair of NBA games — Oklahoma City at Orlando on March 29 and Oklahoma City at Minnesota on April 11 — and a pair of NASCAR Monster Energy Cup races at Martinsville Speedway on April 2 and Kansas Speedway on May 13.
