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Tennis Channel’s fifth year of French Open coverage to include 3-d weekend

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Tennis Channel, the only 24-hour, television-based multimedia destination dedicated to both the professional sport and tennis lifestyle, will bring the world’s most prestigious clay-court tournament to American televisions in 3-D for the first time during this year’s French Open coverage. Working with AT&T U-verse®, Comcast and DIRECTV the network will telecast all matches from center court – the postcard-perfect Philippe Chatrier Court – in 3-D during Memorial Day weekend, May 28-30. Viewers who subscribe to one of these three pay-TV providers will be able to access the more than 20 hours of match coverage.

Tennis Channel, the only 24-hour, television-based multimedia destination dedicated to both the professional sport and tennis lifestyle, will bring the world’s most prestigious clay-court tournament to American televisions in 3-D for the first time during this year’s French Open coverage. Working with AT&T U-verse®, Comcast and DIRECTV the network will telecast all matches from center court – the postcard-perfect Philippe Chatrier Court – in 3-D during Memorial Day weekend, May 28-30. Viewers who subscribe to one of these three pay-TV providers will be able to access the more than 20 hours of match coverage.

Though Grand Slam tennis action has appeared in 3-D on U.S. television networks before, this will be the first time for the French Open, so symbolized by its surface of luxurious red clay, extended rallies and passionate, vocal stadium crowds.

“Tennis Channel prides itself on bringing this sport to our viewers through state-of-the-art broadcast quality that’s second to none,” said Larry Meyers, executive producer and senior vice president, production, Tennis Channel. “In keeping with this, we’re happy to work with AT&T U-verse, Comcast and DIRECTV to be the first network to offer the French Open to U.S. audiences in 3-D. We always say we want viewers to feel like they’re actually in Paris at the French Open when they tune into Tennis Channel, and the images of red clay flying through their televisions at them in 3-D this year will only add to this effort.”

In all Tennis Channel’s fifth year at the French Open will bring more than 75 hours of live or first-run matches to viewers, with another dozen hours of men’s and women’s semifinal same-day encores. The network will carry at least seven live hours a day for the first nine days of the competition, with coverage beginning at 5 a.m. ET (a complete schedule follows, below).

French Open Tonight, hosted by Bill Macatee, will be back each evening for three-and-half hours of highlights, interviews, analysis and special reports from the tournament grounds and Paris at large. Typically running from 6:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. ET., the show’s set will again be perched above the French Open’s famed Musketeer Plaza, right in the heart of the crowd. Each night at its conclusion French Open Tonight immediately re-airs twice in its entirety all night and early morning up to the start of the next day’s coverage of live matches. Tennis Channel will produce 42 hours of French Open Tonight this year, with 139 overall hours dedicated to the show during the two-week competition.

Tennis Channel has worked with ESPN2 to bring viewers almost non-stop coverage between the two networks, and will do so again. On most days Tennis Channel’s live matches run from 5 a.m.-noon ET, at which point ESPN2 takes the court until 6:30 p.m. ET, then hands it back over to Tennis Channel’s French Open Tonight. French Open Tonight then runs through the night until the next day’s play. Tennis Channel produces all coverage for both channels, with each cross-promoting the other’s schedule and making use of its own on-air team. All French Open production is in high definition.

On-Air Talent

Since announcing Hall of Famers John McEnroe and Martina Navratilova as lead analysts in 2007, Tennis Channel has continued to add to the star power of its French Open talent roster. New to the team in 2011 is Mary Carillo, one of the most respected sports journalists in the industry, a long-time tennis broadcaster and a 1977 French Open mixed doubles champion with McEnroe. Carillo will host the network’s live tournament desk, conduct interviews, offer perspective and analysis, and handle play-by-play duties during select matches. She will also develop human interest stories and segments during the two-week event. Additionally, Grand Slam winner Lindsay Davenport is back at Roland Garros for the network in 2011, in the first year of her recently signed multiyear, year-round on-air agreement.

Meanwhile, Justin Gimelstob, Corina Morariu, Katrina Adams and Barry MacKay will offer analysis again for the network in Paris this year, along with returning play-by-play men Ted Robinson, Ian Eagle and Leif Shiras. On any given night any one of Tennis Channel’s live-match broadcasters could make an in-person appearance on French Open Tonight with Macatee, and likely each one of them will at some point during the two-week event. In addition to Macatee, the primetime show will feature the talents of Bud Collins, the reporter, broadcaster, writer and expert who has literally written the book on the sport with his Tennis Encyclopedia. They will be joined by Cari Champion, anchor and reporter for Tennis Channel’s year-round Court Report news segment. She will resume the role she held last year, covering the tournament’s grounds and its famous host city, and bringing the off-court bustle and pageantry to viewers back home.

Broadband Coverage

Tennis Channel has streamed live and on-demand matches for free on its Web site, www.tennischannel.com, since it began covering the French Open. This will continue in 2011, with another 10 days of 125 matches and 200 hours of online tennis. However, an upgraded video player will bring it all to viewers at much faster speeds and in high-definition quality. Other new features include picture-in-picture tools, digital video recorder (DVR) capabilities and the option of watching multiple courts simultaneously. In fact, given Tennis Channel’s extensive video-on-demand archives, the Web site’s new video player will allow a site visitor to have up to 20 screens of different matches playing at the same time.

Tennis Channel’s redesigned online video page will again offer daily French Open highlights, player interviews, on-the-ground features and French Open Tonight segments. Other www.tennischannel.com features include real-time scoring, exclusive photos, interactive tournament draws, sweepstakes information and the “Racquet Bracket” tournament prediction game. In addition, veteran tennis reporter Matt Cronin will write for Tennis Channel for the first time during the French Open this year, penning a few columns each week as he begins a year-round presence on the network Web site. He joins returning scribes Steve Flink, Joel Drucker and James LaRosa.

Tennis Channel’s Live 2011 French Open Match Schedule – Entirely in High Definition

(Men’s/Women’s Singles Unless Otherwise Specified)

Date Time (ET) Event

Sunday, May 22 5 a.m.-1 p.m. First-Round Action

Monday, May 23 5 a.m.-3 p.m. First-Round Action

Tuesday, May 24 5 a.m.-Noon First-Round Action

Wednesday, May 25 5 a.m.-Noon Second-Round Action

Thursday, May 26 5 a.m.-Noon Second-Round Action

Friday, May 27 5 a.m.-Noon Third-Round Action

Saturday, May 28 5 a.m.-Noon Third-Round Action

Sunday, May 29 5 a.m.-Noon Round-of-16 Action

Monday, May 30 5 a.m.-Noon Round-of-16 Action

Tuesday, May 31 8 a.m.-Noon Quarterfinals

Wednesday, June 1 8 a.m.-Noon Quarterfinals

Thursday, June 2 5 a.m.-8 a.m. Men’s Doubles Semifinals

Tennis Channel will also offer same-day replays of the singles semifinals (ET):

Thursday, June 2 – 1 p.m.-6:30 p.m.: women’s singles semifinals

Friday, June 3 – 5 p.m.-midnight: men’s semifinals

Tennis Channel’s French Open Tonight Schedule

French Open Tonight airs Sunday, May 22-Thursday, June 2, and typically runs from 6:30 p.m.-10 p.m. ET, and is then repeated twice from 10 p.m.-1:30 a.m. and 1:30 a.m.-5 a.m. These are the exceptions are (ET):

Monday, May 23; Saturday, May 28; and Sunday, May 29 – 3 p.m.-6:30 p.m., repeated at 6:30 p.m.-10 p.m., 10 p.m.-1:30 a.m. and 1:30 a.m.-5 a.m.

Additionally, shortened encore editions of French Open Tonight will air Tuesday, May 31, and Wednesday, June 1, from 5 a.m.-8 a.m.

Though Grand Slam tennis action has appeared in 3-D on U.S. television networks before, this will be the first time for the French Open, so symbolized by its surface of luxurious red clay, extended rallies and passionate, vocal stadium crowds.

“Tennis Channel prides itself on bringing this sport to our viewers through state-of-the-art broadcast quality that’s second to none,” said Larry Meyers, executive producer and senior vice president, production, Tennis Channel. “In keeping with this, we’re happy to work with AT&T U-verse, Comcast and DIRECTV to be the first network to offer the French Open to U.S. audiences in 3-D. We always say we want viewers to feel like they’re actually in Paris at the French Open when they tune into Tennis Channel, and the images of red clay flying through their televisions at them in 3-D this year will only add to this effort.”

In all Tennis Channel’s fifth year at the French Open will bring more than 75 hours of live or first-run matches to viewers, with another dozen hours of men’s and women’s semifinal same-day encores. The network will carry at least seven live hours a day for the first nine days of the competition, with coverage beginning at 5 a.m. ET (a complete schedule follows, below).

French Open Tonight, hosted by Bill Macatee, will be back each evening for three-and-half hours of highlights, interviews, analysis and special reports from the tournament grounds and Paris at large. Typically running from 6:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. ET., the show’s set will again be perched above the French Open’s famed Musketeer Plaza, right in the heart of the crowd. Each night at its conclusion French Open Tonight immediately re-airs twice in its entirety all night and early morning up to the start of the next day’s coverage of live matches. Tennis Channel will produce 42 hours of French Open Tonight this year, with 139 overall hours dedicated to the show during the two-week competition.

Tennis Channel has worked with ESPN2 to bring viewers almost non-stop coverage between the two networks, and will do so again. On most days Tennis Channel’s live matches run from 5 a.m.-noon ET, at which point ESPN2 takes the court until 6:30 p.m. ET, then hands it back over to Tennis Channel’s French Open Tonight. French Open Tonight then runs through the night until the next day’s play. Tennis Channel produces all coverage for both channels, with each cross-promoting the other’s schedule and making use of its own on-air team. All French Open production is in high definition.

On-Air Talent

Since announcing Hall of Famers John McEnroe and Martina Navratilova as lead analysts in 2007, Tennis Channel has continued to add to the star power of its French Open talent roster. New to the team in 2011 is Mary Carillo, one of the most respected sports journalists in the industry, a long-time tennis broadcaster and a 1977 French Open mixed doubles champion with McEnroe. Carillo will host the network’s live tournament desk, conduct interviews, offer perspective and analysis, and handle play-by-play duties during select matches. She will also develop human interest stories and segments during the two-week event. Additionally, Grand Slam winner Lindsay Davenport is back at Roland Garros for the network in 2011, in the first year of her recently signed multiyear, year-round on-air agreement.

Meanwhile, Justin Gimelstob, Corina Morariu, Katrina Adams and Barry MacKay will offer analysis again for the network in Paris this year, along with returning play-by-play men Ted Robinson, Ian Eagle and Leif Shiras. On any given night any one of Tennis Channel’s live-match broadcasters could make an in-person appearance on French Open Tonight with Macatee, and likely each one of them will at some point during the two-week event. In addition to Macatee, the primetime show will feature the talents of Bud Collins, the reporter, broadcaster, writer and expert who has literally written the book on the sport with his Tennis Encyclopedia. They will be joined by Cari Champion, anchor and reporter for Tennis Channel’s year-round Court Report news segment. She will resume the role she held last year, covering the tournament’s grounds and its famous host city, and bringing the off-court bustle and pageantry to viewers back home.

Broadband Coverage

Tennis Channel has streamed live and on-demand matches for free on its Web site, , since it began covering the French Open. This will continue in 2011, with another 10 days of 125 matches and 200 hours of online tennis. However, an upgraded video player will bring it all to viewers at much faster speeds and in high-definition quality. Other new features include picture-in-picture tools, digital video recorder (DVR) capabilities and the option of watching multiple courts simultaneously. In fact, given Tennis Channel’s extensive video-on-demand archives, the Web site’s new video player will allow a site visitor to have up to 20 screens of different matches playing at the same time.

Tennis Channel’s redesigned online video page will again offer daily French Open highlights, player interviews, on-the-ground features and French Open Tonight segments. Other features include real-time scoring, exclusive photos, interactive tournament draws, sweepstakes information and the “Racquet Bracket” tournament prediction game. In addition, veteran tennis reporter Matt Cronin will write for Tennis Channel for the first time during the French Open this year, penning a few columns each week as he begins a year-round presence on the network Web site. He joins returning scribes Steve Flink, Joel Drucker and James LaRosa.

Tennis Channel’s Live 2011 French Open Match Schedule – Entirely in High Definition

(Men’s/Women’s Singles Unless Otherwise Specified)

Date Time (ET) Event

Sunday, May 22 5 a.m.-1 p.m. First-Round Action

Monday, May 23 5 a.m.-3 p.m. First-Round Action

Tuesday, May 24 5 a.m.-Noon First-Round Action

Wednesday, May 25 5 a.m.-Noon Second-Round Action

Thursday, May 26 5 a.m.-Noon Second-Round Action

Friday, May 27 5 a.m.-Noon Third-Round Action

Saturday, May 28 5 a.m.-Noon Third-Round Action

Sunday, May 29 5 a.m.-Noon Round-of-16 Action

Monday, May 30 5 a.m.-Noon Round-of-16 Action

Tuesday, May 31 8 a.m.-Noon Quarterfinals

Wednesday, June 1 8 a.m.-Noon Quarterfinals

Thursday, June 2 5 a.m.-8 a.m. Men’s Doubles Semifinals

Tennis Channel will also offer same-day replays of the singles semifinals (ET):

Thursday, June 2 – 1 p.m.-6:30 p.m.: women’s singles semifinals

Friday, June 3 – 5 p.m.-midnight: men’s semifinals

Tennis Channel’s French Open Tonight Schedule

French Open Tonight airs Sunday, May 22-Thursday, June 2, and typically runs from 6:30 p.m.-10 p.m. ET, and is then repeated twice from 10 p.m.-1:30 a.m. and 1:30 a.m.-5 a.m. These are the exceptions are (ET):

Monday, May 23; Saturday, May 28; and Sunday, May 29 – 3 p.m.-6:30 p.m., repeated at 6:30 p.m.-10 p.m., 10 p.m.-1:30 a.m. and 1:30 a.m.-5 a.m.

Additionally, shortened encore editions of French Open Tonight will air Tuesday, May 31, and Wednesday, June 1, from 5 a.m.-8 a.m.

TENNIS CHANNEL’S 2010 FRENCH OPEN COVERAGE BEGINS WITH TOURNAMENT’S FIRST SERVE SUNDAY, MAY 23

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LOS ANGELES, May 17, 2010 – Tennis Channel, the only 24-hour, television-based multimedia destination dedicated to both the professional sport and tennis lifestyle, will carry 77 hours of live French Open coverage during its fourth year in Paris, not including same-day repeats of the men’s and women’s singles semifinals.  As a general rule, seven hours of live match play will air each day, from 5 a.m. to noon ET, with coverage continuing through the men’s and women’s quarterfinals deep into the second week of play (see complete schedule below).

The network’s groundbreaking prime-time show, French Open Tonight, will return each evening with anchor Bill Macatee and Tennis Channel’s signature set overlooking the tournament’s famed Musketeer Plaza.  The nightly three-and-a-half-hour show will again offer interviews, highlights, analysis, encore match replays and coverage from in and around the City of Light.  Macatee will host a variety of tennis personalities, including players, coaches, agents, tennis-industry representatives, past champions, Hall of Famers and other notables in the sport.

French Open Tonight will run from 6:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET, each evening, and immediately re-air twice in its entirety, throughout the night and early morning, concluding with the start of the following day’s live match play at 5 a.m. ET.  In all, Tennis Channel will show more than 140 hours of the nightly show, with 42 hours of first-run airings.

All of Tennis Channel’s coverage from the world’s most prestigious clay-court competition will be produced in high definition.  The network is working with ESPN2 again to bring viewers an almost round-the-clock tournament experience for the fourth consecutive year, with each channel cross-promoting the other’s schedule.  As Tennis Channel’s daily match coverage concludes at noon ET, ESPN2 picks up the action without missing a beat, covering the tournament through 6:30 p.m. ET, when Tennis Channel’s French Open Tonight begins.  Tennis Channel will produce all coverage for both channels, with each making use of its own on-air team.

On-Air Talent

John McEnroe and Martina Navratilova have become fixtures of Tennis Channel’s French Open coverage and will be back in the network’s booth this year as lead on-air analysts.  In their fourth year of providing Hall of Fame insight, the pair will be joined by new correspondent Lindsay Davenport, a three-time Grand Slam singles winner who reached the French Open semifinals in 1998.  Ted Robinson, Ian Eagle and former player Leif Shiras will resume play-by-play duties for the network in 2010, working with Tennis Channel’s long-running team of analysts and former players Katrina Adams, Justin Gimelstob, Barry MacKay and Corina Morariu.

“I’m thrilled that it’s springtime in Paris and the French Open is here again,” said Navratilova.  “Everyone wants to see if Rafael Nadal can return to dominance after his disappointing exit last year.  The women’s side is just as interesting, with so many potential winners.  I can’t wait to get back in the Tennis Channel booth and watch it all unfold.”

Davenport, in addition to her appearances during match coverage, will frequently assist on French Open Tonight with Macatee, along with a roster of new contributors.  Legendary tennis writer, analyst, reporter and all-around expert Bud Collins joins the prime-time team this year, as does long-time tennis journalist Jon Wertheim.  Rounding out French Open Tonight will be Cari Champion, anchor of Tennis Channel’s Court Report nightly newscast, and Danielle Dotzenrod, host of health and nutrition series Fit To Hit.  Combined, this group will offer analysis and commentary, and cover the sights and sounds of the tournament grounds, its fans and various on-site activities – with field reports from the surrounding city sprinkled into the mix.

Broadband Coverage

Tennis Channel’s extensive French Open coverage has never been limited to television.  The network will again offer free live and on-demand broadband streams, with close to 125 matches and 200 hours during the first 10 days of the tournament.  Visitors to the network’s site, www.tennischannel.com, will be able to view any one of five courts for the first eight days of the event, followed by a single court on days nine and ten.  The site will also offer interview archives from French Open Tonight, news, live scores, daily highlights, exclusive tournament photos, blogs, columns, sweepstakes information and the network’s “Racquet Bracket” tournament prediction game.

Tennis Channel’s Live 2010 French Open Match Schedule – Entirely in High Definition

(Men’s/Women’s Singles Unless Otherwise Specified)

Date                                        Time (ET)                   Event

Sunday, May 23                       5 a.m.-Noon                First-Round Action

Monday, May 24                     5 a.m.-3 p.m.               First-Round Action

Tuesday, May 25                     5 a.m.-Noon                First-Round Action

Wednesday, May 26                5 a.m.-Noon                Second-Round Action

Thursday, May 27                    5 a.m.-Noon                Second-Round Action

Friday, May 28                        5 a.m.-Noon                Third-Round Action

Saturday, May 29                     5 a.m.-Noon                Third-Round Action

Sunday, May 30                       5 a.m.-Noon                Round of 16 Action

Monday, May 31                     5 a.m.-Noon                Round of 16 Action

Tuesday, June 1                        8 a.m.-Noon                Quarterfinals

Wednesday, June 2                  8 a.m.-Noon                Quarterfinals

Thursday, June 3                      5 a.m.-8 a.m.                Men’s Doubles Semifinals

Tennis Channel will also offer same-day replays of the men’s and women’s singles semifinals:

Thursday, June 3 – 1 p.m.-6:30 p.m. (ET): women’s singles semifinals

Friday, June 4 – 5 p.m.-midnight (ET): men’s semifinals

Tennis Channel’s French Open Tonight Schedule

French Open Tonight airs Sunday, May 23-Thursday, June 3, and typically runs from 6:30 p.m.-10 p.m. ET, and is then repeated twice from 10 p.m.-1:30 a.m. and 1:30 a.m.-5 a.m.  The following exceptions are ET:

Monday, May 24; Saturday, May 29; and Sunday, May 30 – 3 p.m.-6:30 p.m., followed by 6:30 p.m.-10 p.m., 10 p.m.-1:30 a.m. and 1:30 a.m.-5 a.m.

Additionally, shortened encore editions of French Open Tonight will air Tuesday, June 1, and Wednesday, June 2, from 5 a.m.-8 a.m.

JOHN MCENROE TO COVER FRENCH OPEN ON TENNIS CHANNEL THROUGH 2013

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LOS ANGELES, May 10, 2010 – Tennis Channel, the only 24-hour, television-based multimedia destination dedicated to both the professional sport and tennis lifestyle, has extended its French Open relationship with tennis icon John McEnroe.  The man with one of the best-known faces in televised tennis today will continue his lead analyst’s role during the network’s annual coverage of the event (also known as Roland Garros) through 2013.  The announcement comes just prior to the Hall of Famer’s fourth year in the booth for the channel at the world’s most prestigious clay-court tournament, beginning with the start of play Sunday, May 23.

McEnroe will provide his unique insight, champion’s opinion and overall analysis throughout Tennis Channel’s two-week telecast.  As in years past, he will also contribute to the network’s nightly prime-time show, French Open Tonight, hosted by veteran sports anchor Bill Macatee.  Additionally, McEnroe will offer perspective and commentary with fellow analyst and Hall of Famer Martina Navratilova, herself a mainstay of Tennis Channel’s French Open activity.  The network’s complete 2010 French Open on-air schedule is forthcoming.

“It’s been great representing Tennis Channel since our first French Open broadcast,” said McEnroe. “I’m glad to extend our relationship and am looking forward to getting back into the Roland Garros booth again in May.”

As one of the most recognizable and credible television analysts in tennis today, McEnroe has captivated sports fans since bringing his fiery personality to the pro tennis scene in the late 1970s.  He won 77 singles and 78 doubles titles during his career, including four US Open and three Wimbledon singles championships.  McEnroe won the French Open mixed doubles championship with Mary Carillo in 1977, and reached the tournament’s singles final in 1984.  He is possibly the most dominant Davis Cup player of all time, winning the championship five times as a member of the U.S. team and remains the all-time record holder in U.S. Davis Cup total wins (59 wins vs. 10 losses), singles wins (41-8), ties or rounds played (30), and years played (12).  McEnroe was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1999.

McEnroe helped usher in a new era in Grand Slam television during Tennis Channel’s inaugural French Open telecast in 2007.  With round-the-clock match play, action that jumped from court to court, a nightly prime-time recap and interview show, expert analysis from the biggest names in the sport, and free live broadband streams from as many as five daily courts, Tennis Channel left its mark in major tennis coverage and set the standard for the network’s future Grand Slam telecasts of the Australian Open, Wimbledon and the US Open.

This year Tennis Channel will devote more than 230 hours of programming to the French Open (all in high definition) including live matches, encore replays and highlights via French Open Tonight.  The network will also offer multiple live match streams on its Web site, www.tennischannel.com, as it has since 2007.  2010 is the second year that Tennis Channel will cover all four of tennis’ major competitions.