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Wimbledon on TV: First Ball to Finals in ESPN's 10th Championships

By April MacIntyre Jun 19, 2012, 16:21 GMT

Tune in alert for Wimbledon on TV: First Ball to Finals in ESPN’s 10th Championships 140 Live Hours on ESPN & ESPN2 including “Cross Court Coverage,” Highlights on ABC, Nine Screens on ESPN3.

Tune in alert for Wimbledon on TV:  First Ball to Finals in ESPN’s 10th Championships
140 Live Hours on ESPN & ESPN2 including “Cross Court Coverage,” Highlights on ABC, Nine Screens on ESPN3.

A new era of television coverage for one of sport’s most historic events will begin when ESPN presents The Championships, Wimbledon complete, live and exclusively across its networks from first ball Monday, June 25, with day-long marathon telecasts through to the Ladies’ and Gentlemen’s Finals, Saturday, July 7, and Sunday, July 8, respectively. 

ESPN’s 10th Wimbledon will expand to 140 live hours in high definition on ESPN HD and ESPN2 HD – including three days when the two networks offer all-day “cross court coverage” (airing matches simultaneously) – plus highlights and reairs of both Finals on ABC. 

All the action on ESPN and ESPN2 is also available through WatchESPN online at WatchESPN.com and on smartphones and tablets via the WatchESPN app.

ESPN3 will also increase its schedule to more than 800 hours of a multi-screen offering – all available TV courts (up to nine) presented from first ball to last ball each day – which will be available along with ESPN and ESPN2’s action via the WatchESPN app.  The service will also offer matches on demand after they occur.

ESPN 3D, which presented its first tennis at Wimbledon a year ago with one live match and others on delay, will televise five days of action live from Centre Court.  ESPN 3D’s coverage will begin with the Gentlemen’s quarterfinals Wednesday, July 4, and continue through the Finals. Each day’s telecast will be reaired that night at 9 p.m.

“This Wimbledon is the culmination of a dream we at ESPN have had for more than 10 years, to deliver every match and every key moment live as it happens to fans wherever they are,” said John Skipper, ESPN president.  “The Club entrusted the care of their wonderful event to us and we intend to fulfill their trust and present a Wimbledon that uses modern technology to serve fans across all devices while being mindful of the great history and traditions of the fortnight.”

As previously announced, Hall of Famer John McEnroe is adding Wimbledon to his ESPN repertoire, having worked the US Open since 2009.  He will be joined by returnees Darren Cahill, Cliff Drysdale, Mary Joe Fernandez, Brad Gilbert, Patrick McEnroe and Pam Shriver.  Chris Fowler will call matches and serve as studio host, sharing that role with Hannah Storm and Mike Tirico.  The voice of ESPN’s Monday Night Football, Tirico has worked the US Open for ESPN as a host and calling matches and will fill those roles in his Wimbledon debut. Tom Rinaldi will provide essays and features.

Surveying the Fields

Three players dominate the top of the men’s game with 28 of the last 29 Major championships – No. 1-ranked and defending  champion, Novak Djokovic, two-time champ and No. 2 Rafael Nadal who recently defeated Djokovic for the French Open crown, and No. 3 Roger Federer, who counts six Wimbledon crowns in his tally of 16 Grand Slam titles.  Everyone else – starting with British hopeful No. 4 Andy Murray seeking his first Grand Slam title and hoping to end Great Britain’s 76-year Wimbledon drought (Fred Perry, 1936) – is hoping for a slot in the semifinals.

The Women

The Wimbledon winner Maria Sharapova is the favorite in a crowded field.  Serena Williams has four Wimbledon trophies, and looks to rebound from her first-round ouster in Paris and her No. 6 ranking.  No. 2 Victoria Azarenka won this year’s Australian Open, No. 3 Agnieszka Radwanska has never reached a Major semifinal, No. 4 Petra Kvitova is the defending champ, No. 5 Sam Stosur won the 2011 US Open and former No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki is ranked No. 7.  The field also includes two big names with a combined 11 Major titles – Venus Williams has five Wimbledon victories among her seven Major wins, and Kim Clijsters would love to add a Wimbledon crown to her collection of four Major victories in what is likely her final Wimbledon, having announced she will retire this year.

Scheduling Highlights: All Live, ESPN & ESPN2’s “Cross Court Coverage” for “Greatest Day in Tennis”

For the first time in the U.S., ESPN networks will show all of Wimbledon live, from first ball through the finals, including up to nine courts simultaneously on ESPN3 and an unprecedented ESPN/ESPN2 dual network “cross court coverage” approach for July 2-4:

·         ESPN2 HD will begin daylong live weekday programming Monday, June 25, at 6:30 a.m. and continuing each weekday through Wednesday, July 4, at 7 a.m. (except Friday, June 29)

·         ESPN HD will first be live on Friday, June 29, from 7 a.m. – 5 p.m. and then on Saturday, June 30, starting at 7 a.m. with Breakfast at Wimbledon presented by US Trust, a one-hour preview of the day’s matches that marks the return of the iconic branding after that being featured on air for many years.  Breakfast at Wimbledon will also precede the network’s live, national telecasts of the Gentlemen’s and Ladies’ Semifinals and Finals, Thursday, July 5 – Sunday, July 8.

·         On the “middle Sunday,” a scheduled day off as is Wimbledon tradition, ABC will broadcast a three-hour review of the first week at 3 p.m.  ABC will also reair the finals on the day they take place, July 7 and 8 at 3 p.m.

·         For the second Monday – Wednesday (July 2-4), ESPN will be live alongside ESPN2 to allow for live coverage of each and every match from the Round of 16 and Quarterfinals.  In this unprecedented “Cross Court Coverage,” ESPN will focus on Centre Court matches while ESPN2 offers fans a “grounds pass” with action from Court 1 and other courts.  The first of these three days, Monday, July 2 – when all 32 players are on the court in eight Gentlemen’s and eight Ladies’ Round of 16 matches, something that is unique to Wimbledon – is commonly referred to as “the greatest day in tennis.”

·         ESPN 3D will pick up coverage with live Centre Court action Wednesday, July 4 through the Finals.

·         ESPN3 will provide a multi-court offering of live play, including a simulcast of ESPN and ESPN2, with all-day coverage from all nine TV courts plus press conferences totaling more than 800 hours.  In addition, the service – which reaches more than 73 million U.S. homes – will offer replays on demand.

ESPN Classic will air four great Wimbledon Gentlemen’s Finals from the past, each upon a significant anniversary – matches won by Bjorn Borg (1977), Jimmy Connors (1982), Andre Agassi (1992) and Roger Federer (2007).  Each match will air twice on the day of the anniversary (except Federer’s 2007 victory, which took place on July 8).

Mon, July 2
1 a.m. & 10 p.m.
1977 Gentlemen’s Final: 35th Anniversary of Bjorn Borg defeating Jimmy Connors for the second of five consecutive Wimbledon titles

Wed, July 4
1 a.m. & 6:30 p.m.
1982 Gentlemen’s Final: 30th Anniversary of Jimmy Connors defeating John McEnroe in five sets

Thur, July 5
1 a.m. & 6:30 p.m.
1992 Gentlemen’s Final:  20th Anniversary of 22-year old Andre Agassi defeating Goran Ivanisevic

Mon, July 9
2 a.m. & 11 a.m.
2007 Gentlemen’s Final: 5th Anniversary of Roger Federer’s Fifth Wimbledon title, defeating Rafael Nadal

ESPN.com will have previews, reviews, the latest news and videos and more:

·         Courtcast: A multi-tool application with live events via the ESPN3 syndicated player, all-court scoring, match stats, Cover It Live conversations, poll questions, rolling Twitter feeds and scrolling bottom line;

·         Slam Central: A daily destination for all Wimbledon fixtures;

·         Five Things We Learned: Video series reviewing the top news of the day;

·         Grass Stains: A daily notebook wrapping up the best and worst of the day;

·         Digital Serve: Daily original videos previewing the next day;

·         Star Watch: Daily blog focusing on one of the game’s elite.

espnW

espnW.com will offer daily columns, blog posts and video, with an emphasis on the women’s side of the tournament.

ESPNDeportes.com will provide live scores and draws, in depth news and coverage of Latin American players, columns, blogs, live chats, video, highlights and news, including ESPiando Wimbledon that will recap the day’s play.

ESPN & WIMBLEDON 2012

Mon, June 25
6:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Early Round Action
ESPN2 / ESPN3
Live

Tue, June 16 –Thur, June 28
7 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Early Round Action
ESPN2 /ESPN3 (begins at 6:30 a.m.)
Live

Fri, June 29
7 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Early Round Action
ESPN / ESPN3
Live

Sat, June 30
7 – 8 a.m.
Breakfast at Wimbledon
ESPN / ESPN3
Live

8 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Quarterfinals
ESPN / ESPN3
Live

Sun, July 1
3 – 6 p.m.
Highlights of Week One
ABC
Tape

Mon, July 2
7 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Round of 16
ESPN2 / ESPN3
Live

8 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Round of 16, Centre Court
ESPN / ESPN3
Live

Tue, July 3
7 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Ladies’ Quarterfinals
ESPN2 / ESPN3
Live

8 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Ladies’ Quarterfinals, Centre Court
ESPN / ESPN3
Live

Wed, July 4
7 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Gentlemen’s Quarterfinals
ESPN2 / ESPN3
Live 8 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Gentlemen’s Quarterfinals, Centre Court
ESPN / ESPN3D / ESPN3
Live

Thur, July 5
7 – 8 a.m.
Breakfast at Wimbledon
ESPN / ESPN3
Live 8 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Ladies’ Semifinals
ESPN / ESPN3D / ESPN3
Live

Fri, July 6
7 – 8 a.m.
Breakfast at Wimbledon
ESPN / ESPN3
Live 8 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Gentlemen’s Semifinals
ESPN / ESPN3D / ESPN3
Live

Sat, July 7
8 a.m. – 9 a.m.
Breakfast at Wimbledon
ESPN / ESPN3
Live 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Ladies’ Final
ESPN / ESPN3D / ESPN3
Live 3 – 6 p.m.
Ladies’ Final
ABC
Tape

Sun, July 8
8 a.m. – 9 a.m.
Breakfast at Wimbledon
ESPN / ESPN3
Live 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Gentlemen’s Final
ESPN / ESPN3D / ESPN3
Live 3 – 6 p.m.
Gentlemen’s Final
ABC
Tape