Tennis Channel and ESPN Extend the French and Australian Open Programming Alliance
Tennis Channel and ESPN have extended the French Open and Australian Open multimedia programming alliance they began in Roland Garros in 2007. Both networks will continue to offer matches virtually round the clock from both events, two of the sport’s four major "Grand Slam" tournaments, with complementary coverage and cross-promoted schedules. A noteworthy evolution, however, will see the networks tweak the French Open broadcast schedule, with ESPN moving to cover the early morning matches, and Tennis Channel’s window running contiguously from 10:00 a.m. EST, throughout the night and up to the next day’s play. Additionally, Tennis Channel offers 10 consecutive nights of prime-time match play during its Australian Open window, without any intermittent days off. The four-year agreement begins with the 2012 French Open and 2013 Australian Open.
Tennis Channel will cover nearly 60 hours of live French Open matches in Paris; an additional 30-plus same-day delay hours; and more than 140 hours of the prime-time news, feature, interview and highlight show, French Open Tonight, hosted by Bill Macatee. Beginning with the 2013 Australian Open in Melbourne, however, the network’s 13 days of live coverage will now include 10 consecutive nights of prime-time matches, first Monday through Wednesday of the second week, without any intermittent days off. Also a first, Tennis Channel will be able to stay with men’s matches that run longer than its two-hour programming windows, which it was previously only able to do during women’s matches.
"Not only is there more championship-caliber tennis on television week-after-week than ever before, but consistent, daily schedules allow fans to follow and enjoy this sport in a way that was impossible even just a few years ago," said Ken Solomon, chairman and CEO, Tennis Channel. "With this arrangement there will be no more guesswork during the Australian Open … just turn your television on when you get home at 7:00 p.m. and we’ll be there live, night after night. Tennis fans are the big winners here, as has been the case ever since Tennis Channel and ESPN started working together."
Beginning next May, a typical televised day at the French Open will begin with ESPN2 from 5:00 a.m. EST-10:00 a.m. EST, followed immediately by coverage on Tennis Channel for the remainder of play. French Open Tonight will appear on Tennis Channel in prime time for three-and-a-half hours and, as is the case now, re-air throughout the night, right up to the next morning’s play on ESPN2. Tennis Channel will also produce and distribute many additional hours of coverage via multi-match interactive telecasts.
"Sports fans want to see the action live and that’s how we deliver tennis and all our sports," said John Skipper, ESPN executive vice president of content. "Tennis fans are among the most dedicated—willing to stay up or get up to see live competition—and that’s what we will provide for years to come from Melbourne and Paris. In addition, we look forward to continuing our relationship with Tennis Channel to best serve tennis fans at both events."
The five-year-old Grand Slam alliance between Tennis Channel and ESPN is currently in effect again in Paris for the 2011 French Open. The joint-network coverage has provided viewers with more than 125 hours of live tennis in Paris and close to 150 live hours in Melbourne each year. More than sheer volume of coverage, Tennis Channel and ESPN work in tandem to give their tennis viewers the opportunity to stay on top of these respective events almost all day, every day for each two week competition.
