SYRACUSE, NY – Fans of Billy Joel were left disappointed on Sunday night after CBS delayed and ultimately cut off the airing of “The 100th: Billy Joel at Madison Square Garden.” The special showcased Joel’s historic 100th concert at Madison Square Garden in New York, but CBS’s extended coverage of the Masters golf tournament caused the delay, with the concert getting cut off by the local news around 11:30 p.m.
Viewers took to social media to express their frustration, with one user criticizing Syracuse’s CBS affiliate for abruptly transitioning from Joel’s performance to the local news. The broadcast reportedly cut off Joel’s iconic song “Piano Man” in several Eastern and Central time zone markets, leaving fans disappointed.
Apologies from local news anchors and sports directors followed the incident, with an anchor from Fort Wayne, Indiana, acknowledging the mishap and promising to investigate the matter. Even the sports director in Tampa Bay, Florida, admitted that a special report after the Masters was not taken into account, leading to the delay of Joel’s concert special that was recorded live on March 28.
Some outraged viewers compared the incident to the infamous 1968 “Heidi” game where NBC cut away from a football game to show a children’s movie, emphasizing the frustration felt by fans who missed out on Joel’s landmark performance.
Despite the mishap, fans still have the opportunity to watch “Billy Joel: The 100th: Live at Madison Square Garden” in its entirety for free online through CBS or Paramount+. Joel’s 100th concert was a milestone event, marking his first performance to be broadcast on network television, as he celebrated his 100th consecutive sold-out show at Madison Square Garden. With a recent release of a new song titled “Turn the Lights Back On,” Joel’s historic residency at MSG is set to conclude in July.