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Re: EPSN takes US Open coverage....
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TMC
May 17, 2013, 1:33:50 AM5/17/13
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On May 16, 12:24 pm, "felangey" <oncl...@nine.com> wrote:
> ....and now every court will be streamed. Yay.
http://www.awfulannouncing.com/2013/may/u-s-open-tennis-to-go-all-cable-through-espn.html
Starting in 2015, the U.S. Open will become an all-cable affair. CBS'
association with the event dating back to 1968 will end in 2014. ESPN
announced the contract earlier today and SBJ's John Ourand reports
that the deal is worth than $770 million for 11 years, meaning that
the U.S. Open will remain on the ESPN family of networks well into the
next decade.
Ourand writes that once CBS' exclusive negotiating window expired in
April and passed on an opportunity to keep a portion of the
tournament, ESPN moved quickly to bring the entire U.S. Open into its
fold.
Some of the features that ESPN will provide in its coverage:
- All 17 courts, some of which have never had cameras will be avilable
online on ESPN3.
- ESPN takes over the Labor Day Weekend coverage which has been on
CBS.
- The women's semifinals which had been on the second Friday will move
to Thursday night in primetime.
- The men's semifinals which had been on "Super Saturday" will be held
on Friday.
- The women's final will be played on the second Saturday and the
men's final on the second Sunday. This year and next, the men's final
will be held on Monday.
- All matches will be streamed whether on ESPN3 or through WatchESPN.
- ESPN will cover the U.S. Open similary to how it covers Wimbledon
with both ESPN and ESPN2 covering matches during the second week.
This is part of ESPN's strategy to bring events that had been on
broadcast television to cable. In recent years, ESPN has moved the
Bowl Championship Series and its cousin, the College Football Playoff,
Wimbleon and the Open Championship to its platforms. And in the next
NFL TV contract beginning in 2014, it's expected that ESPN will get at
least one Wild Card Playoff game.
In a conference call with tennis and media reporters, officials from
the United States Tennis Association were asked if they felt moving to
ESPN and a potentially smaller audience would hurt the Open. However,
the USTA and ESPN President John Skipper noted how the audiences for
cable are matching and in some cases surpassing the broadcast
networks. And while it wasn't stated, ESPN is hoping that obtaining
more championship events will prevent cable subscribers from cutting
the cord.
Skipper was asked about the Family's college football commitments in
September which would conflict with the U.S. Open and he assured the
room that tennis will be aired on one of the major ESPN channels.
As for the possibility of a rainout that could push the U.S. Open
men's final to Monday possibly going opposite Monday Night Football as
it has the last five years, again Skipper assured that all
contingencies have been thought of and there won't be any conflicts.
We shall see.
And don't feel sorry for CBS as it loses one of its signature events
next year. In 2015 look for the Tiffany Network to replace tennis with
SEC football on the two Saturdays it would have aired the U.S. Open
and more NFL games on the Sunday of the men's final. With reduced
ratings for the U.S. Open in recent years, CBS will make due with
increased numbers for football.
http://www.sportsmediawatch.com/2013/05/espn-acquires-full-u-s-open-rights-starting-in-2015/
Two years after ending NBC’s 43-year relationship with Wimbledon, ESPN
has put an end to CBS’ long run televising the U.S. Open.
ESPN has reached an 11-year deal to televise tennis’ U.S. Open
beginning in 2015, the network announced Thursday. According to Sports
Business Daily, which first reported on a potential deal, the
agreement will be worth $70M per year.
Under the new deal, ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPN3.com will combine to
televise all U.S. Open matches. The semifinals and finals will air on
ESPN.
The ESPN family of networks will carry “day-long” coverage on Labor
Day weekend, which is usually the first weekend of the college
football season. Under the current U.S. Open deal, ESPN does not air
any coverage on Labor Day weekend, with CBS and The Tennis Channel
picking up the slack.
According to Sports Business Daily, CBS “passed on the opportunity” to
hold onto U.S. Open rights for $30 million per year — a 50% increase
over the network’s current $20 million/year deal. Losing the U.S. Open
will allow CBS the opportunity to air a Week 1 NFL doubleheader and
move up the start of its college football coverage.
With the addition of the U.S. Open, ESPN now has full television
rights to three of the four major tennis tournaments — the Australian
Open (through 2021), Wimbledon (through 2023) and the U.S. Open
(through 2025). The French Open, portions of which air on ESPN through
a sub-license agreement with The Tennis Channel, will continue to air
on broadcast network NBC through 2024.
Beyond the tournament itself, the new deal also includes full rights
to the U.S. Open Series and coverage of the annual Arthur Ashe Kids
Day
> ....and now every court will be streamed. Yay.
http://www.awfulannouncing.com/2013/may/u-s-open-tennis-to-go-all-cable-through-espn.html
Starting in 2015, the U.S. Open will become an all-cable affair. CBS'
association with the event dating back to 1968 will end in 2014. ESPN
announced the contract earlier today and SBJ's John Ourand reports
that the deal is worth than $770 million for 11 years, meaning that
the U.S. Open will remain on the ESPN family of networks well into the
next decade.
Ourand writes that once CBS' exclusive negotiating window expired in
April and passed on an opportunity to keep a portion of the
tournament, ESPN moved quickly to bring the entire U.S. Open into its
fold.
Some of the features that ESPN will provide in its coverage:
- All 17 courts, some of which have never had cameras will be avilable
online on ESPN3.
- ESPN takes over the Labor Day Weekend coverage which has been on
CBS.
- The women's semifinals which had been on the second Friday will move
to Thursday night in primetime.
- The men's semifinals which had been on "Super Saturday" will be held
on Friday.
- The women's final will be played on the second Saturday and the
men's final on the second Sunday. This year and next, the men's final
will be held on Monday.
- All matches will be streamed whether on ESPN3 or through WatchESPN.
- ESPN will cover the U.S. Open similary to how it covers Wimbledon
with both ESPN and ESPN2 covering matches during the second week.
This is part of ESPN's strategy to bring events that had been on
broadcast television to cable. In recent years, ESPN has moved the
Bowl Championship Series and its cousin, the College Football Playoff,
Wimbleon and the Open Championship to its platforms. And in the next
NFL TV contract beginning in 2014, it's expected that ESPN will get at
least one Wild Card Playoff game.
In a conference call with tennis and media reporters, officials from
the United States Tennis Association were asked if they felt moving to
ESPN and a potentially smaller audience would hurt the Open. However,
the USTA and ESPN President John Skipper noted how the audiences for
cable are matching and in some cases surpassing the broadcast
networks. And while it wasn't stated, ESPN is hoping that obtaining
more championship events will prevent cable subscribers from cutting
the cord.
Skipper was asked about the Family's college football commitments in
September which would conflict with the U.S. Open and he assured the
room that tennis will be aired on one of the major ESPN channels.
As for the possibility of a rainout that could push the U.S. Open
men's final to Monday possibly going opposite Monday Night Football as
it has the last five years, again Skipper assured that all
contingencies have been thought of and there won't be any conflicts.
We shall see.
And don't feel sorry for CBS as it loses one of its signature events
next year. In 2015 look for the Tiffany Network to replace tennis with
SEC football on the two Saturdays it would have aired the U.S. Open
and more NFL games on the Sunday of the men's final. With reduced
ratings for the U.S. Open in recent years, CBS will make due with
increased numbers for football.
http://www.sportsmediawatch.com/2013/05/espn-acquires-full-u-s-open-rights-starting-in-2015/
Two years after ending NBC’s 43-year relationship with Wimbledon, ESPN
has put an end to CBS’ long run televising the U.S. Open.
ESPN has reached an 11-year deal to televise tennis’ U.S. Open
beginning in 2015, the network announced Thursday. According to Sports
Business Daily, which first reported on a potential deal, the
agreement will be worth $70M per year.
Under the new deal, ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPN3.com will combine to
televise all U.S. Open matches. The semifinals and finals will air on
ESPN.
The ESPN family of networks will carry “day-long” coverage on Labor
Day weekend, which is usually the first weekend of the college
football season. Under the current U.S. Open deal, ESPN does not air
any coverage on Labor Day weekend, with CBS and The Tennis Channel
picking up the slack.
According to Sports Business Daily, CBS “passed on the opportunity” to
hold onto U.S. Open rights for $30 million per year — a 50% increase
over the network’s current $20 million/year deal. Losing the U.S. Open
will allow CBS the opportunity to air a Week 1 NFL doubleheader and
move up the start of its college football coverage.
With the addition of the U.S. Open, ESPN now has full television
rights to three of the four major tennis tournaments — the Australian
Open (through 2021), Wimbledon (through 2023) and the U.S. Open
(through 2025). The French Open, portions of which air on ESPN through
a sub-license agreement with The Tennis Channel, will continue to air
on broadcast network NBC through 2024.
Beyond the tournament itself, the new deal also includes full rights
to the U.S. Open Series and coverage of the annual Arthur Ashe Kids
Day
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