Retired PGA Tour pro and golf analyst Johnson Wagner is in line to vacate his role at Golf Channel. The timing is notable as it comes just days after Cara Banks signed off on studio programming. Wagner will join CBS Sports as a walking analyst, per sources. This indicates a strategic move by CBS to reshape its broadcast team ahead of the 2026 season.

Sports Business Journal’s Josh Carpenter shared the news through an X post. “Wagner is not expected to continue with his ‘Live From’ segments at Golf Channel, though similar executions could still happen at CBS,” Carpenter wrote.

Starting in 2026, Wagner will join on-course reporters Dottie Pepper and Mark Immelman for golf broadcasts. The retired pro has 3 PGA Tour titles under his name. With the golf experience he had, he joined Golf Channel in 2023. Thanks to his “Live From” shot reenactments, he quickly attracted the attention of a lot of fans. Notably, many of his clips even went viral on social media platforms.

The segment became so popular that he also recreated some iconic Tiger Woods shots from his dominant 2000 season, traveling across the country earlier in 2025 for this very purpose. Although Johnson Wagner may not continue the “Live From” segment at CBS Sports, it won’t be surprising to see him do something similar there.

This move comes only days after Cara Banks’ exit. Banks joined Golf Channel in 2015, when she moved from England to the US to co-host Morning Drive. She hosted her final show with Golf Channel on December 13, 2025. “End of an era! Today marked my last ever show on @golfchannel,” she captioned an Instagram post revealing her move.

Banks will be transitioning full-time to NBC Sports ahead of Golf Channel’s separation from NBCUniversal under Comcast’s Versant spin-off in early 2026. However, her job profile will remain somewhat similar. She will handle weekend golf interviews, Premier League soccer, Olympics, and winter sports coverage for NBC. Her departure leaves a void in Golf Channel’s studio lineup, including Golf Central Live From at majors.

With both Cara Banks and Johnson Wagner gone, Golf Channel will be looking for someone to fill their spots. But CBS Sports has already taken care of the vacant spot on its roster.

Wagner is moving in to fill the spot left by Colt Knost. Unlike the vacancy at the Golf Channel, the spot left by Colt Knost is not because he left the organization. Knost had been an on-course analyst for CBS Sports since 2019. But now, he moves to the booth alongside Jim Nantz, Trevor Immelman, and Frank Nobilo. He is replacing the retired Ian Baker-Finch. Since Knost is moving to the booth, Johnson Wagner will take his position.

Wagner’s rise was fueled by his honest takes on golfers and golf events.

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Johnson Wagner’s honest views on the failing PGA Tour Fall season

The former PGA Tour pro critiqued the PGA Tour’s fall schedule during a recent 5 Clubs interview. He suggested that it should rather be condensed or canceled to create “scarcity” and boost relevance. He argued from a media perspective that fans “flat out don’t pay attention” to the numerous fall events. Co-panelist Brendon De Jonge supported Wagner’s view. He added that a shorter schedule would let casual fans miss golf and anticipate January’s return.

The numbers indicate that he is right about one thing: low attention. The PGA Tour’s fall series suffers from low fan interest,. There’s not ample engagement, and the absence of the top golfers like Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler, and others in the top-50 makes it even worse. Thus, despite its role in determining the top-100 FedEx Cup standings for card retention, it not that appealing to fans.

Purse values are also dropping. In 2024, there were 8 events in the Fall schedule, and the total prize money accounted for $58.3 million. This year, the Las Vegas event was removed, and the purse dropped to $45 million over seven events.

Johnson Wagner’s potential move to CBS reflects both his growing influence as a broadcaster and the industry’s appetite for candid, experience-driven voices.