Tiger Woods to Play At 2010 Masters

Golfer's return means ratings rise at Augusta for ESPN, CBS

By Alex Weprin -- Broadcasting & Cable, 3/16/2010 11:27:07 AM

Related: BC Beat: End This Tiger Charade Already
Tiger Woods says he will return to golf at the 2010 Masters. The news has been suspected for weeks, as Woods has attempted to repair his image following very public reports of personal infidelities. So damaged was Woods' personal image that a number of his sponsors, including Gatorade, Gillette and Accenture ended their agreements with him.

Despite his personal issues, Woods is easily the most famous and popular golfer playing today, with television ratings in tournaments he plays in far higher than those he does not. When Woods was injured in 2008, major tournaments saw significant drops in the ratings.

Woods' return is good news for CBS and ESPN, which will televise the 2010 Masters tournament. Augusta National Golf Club also says it will be shot in 3D HD for the first time, and distributed through Comcast to early adopters with 3D capable sets.

"The Masters is where I won my first major and I view this tournament with great respect," said Woods in a statement. "After a long and necessary time away from the game, I feel like I'm ready to start my season at Augusta."

"Tiger's return to competitive golf at this year's Masters Tournament will surely be one of the biggest stories the sporting world has seen. We will cover the Masters Tournament and Tiger's return across a variety of ESPN platforms, both domestically and internationally," said John Wildhack, ESPN executive VP of programming & acquisitions, in a statement.