Tennis Channel has opened a fully equipped broadcast control room on the site of the USTA National Campus in Orlando, Fla., giving the network a year-round presence at the training center for elite American professional and junior players. The facility, which establishes an East Coast production base for the West Coast-based network, provides Tennis Channel with greater access to National Campus competitions and players, in addition to Florida’s extensive tennis community. It will be put to immediate use September 24-29, as the network carries the Junior Davis Cup and Junior Fed Cup by BNP Paribas Finals for the first time.
“Tennis Channel East” is now able to cover matches that take place on any of the National Tennis Center’s 100 courts, with a 24-hour connection to the network’s Los Angeles facilities. The control room will produce numerous events each year, including College MatchDay, USTA League Championships and Junior National Championships. Tennis Channel carried the NCAA Division I Men’s and Women’s Tennis National Championships on the campus in May and will do so again in 2021.
Beyond elevating the activities of the National Campus, the network will produce short-form, lifestyle and instructional content from the new control room. It also plans to take advantage of the location’s role as headquarters of USTA professional player development and a point of access to players, coaches, trainers, Hall of Famers and other representatives of the sport. Additionally, Tennis Channel is partnering with Full Sail University to give local students hands-on, real-world experience in live sports production.
“We’re excited to open this production center at the USTA National Campus and set up full-time Tennis Channel operations in Florida,” said Bob Whyley, senior vice president of production and executive producer. “There’s a deep, untapped well of stories to tell about juniors and college tennis, and other aspects of the game beyond the pro circuits. We’re committed to elevating as much tennis as we can and, to that end, looking forward to putting the Junior Davis Cup and Junior Fed Cup Finals on TV for the first time this week.”
