Tennis Channel's French Open Coverage Begins Sunday, May 27

Network’s Inaugural Grand Slam includes Men’s Semifinal, Nightly Prime-Time Show French Open Tonight

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Eric Abner, Public Relations Director
2850 Ocean Park Blvd., Ste. 150
Santa Monica,
310-314-9445
eabner@thetennischannel.com

05/22/07 - Tennis Channel, the only 24-hour, television-based multimedia destination dedicated to tennis and the surrounding lifestyle, will begin its inaugural coverage of Roland Garros (commonly referred to as the French Open) at 5 a.m. ET Sunday, May 27, the opening day of the event. The network will present more than 100 hours of match coverage from the two-week Grand Slam, including one men’s semifinal on Friday, June 8.

Additionally, from May 27-June 7 Tennis Channel will feature nightly prime-time show French Open Tonight, anchored by veteran tennis broadcaster Bill Macatee. The three-and-half-hour show will be televised from a different location in the streets of Paris each night of the tournament and will offer the day’s best tennis, previously unseen matches, original features and coverage from in and around the city.

Tennis Channel’s comprehensive tournament schedule runs from Sunday, May 27-Friday, June 8, and generally begins at 5 a.m. ET (see full schedule below). The network’s daily match telecasts typically conclude at noon ET, at which point ESPN2’s afternoon coverage begins. Tennis Channel is producing all French Open coverage for both networks, with each channel utilizing its own commentators.

On-Air Talent

Tennis Channel’s French Open on-air team includes tennis legends John McEnroe and Martina Navratilova, who join the network as lead on-air analysts during the world’s premier clay-court tournament. Lead on-air commentators Ted Robinson and Ian Eagle are on board with Tennis Channel veterans Leif Shiras, Barry MacKay and Katrina Adams. Former and current players Thomas Blake, Chanda Rubin and Justin Gimelstob will also assist as on-air analysts.

Many – if not all – of these personalities will join Macatee on French Open Tonight throughout the tournament, as will “Entertainment Tonight” and Oxygen network veteran Roshumba Williams, who will be a nightly commentator for the show.

Beyond its network television coverage of the French Open, Tennis Channel plans to carry up to four live matches per day on its Web site, www.TennisChannel.com. These will be complemented with additional on-demand video clips, including daily highlights, archived matches and original content.

Tennis Channel’s Live French Open Match Schedule

Date Time (ET) Event

Sunday, May 27 5 a.m.-Noon First-Round Action
Monday, May 28 5 a.m.-3 pm First-Round Action
Tuesday, May 29 5 a.m.-Noon First-Round Action
Wednesday, May 30 5 a.m.-Noon Second -Round Action
Thursday, May 31 5 a.m.-Noon Second-Round Action
Friday, June 1 5 a.m.-3 p.m. Third-Round Action
Saturday, June 2 5 a.m.-1 p.m. Third-Round Action
Sunday, June 3 5 a.m.-1 p.m. Third-Round Action
Monday, June 4 6 a.m.-Noon Round of 16
Tuesday, June 5 6 a.m.-Noon Women’s Quarterfinals
Wednesday, June 6 6 a.m.-Noon Men’s Quarterfinals
Thursday, June 7 5 a.m.-8 a.m. Men’s Doubles Semifinals
Friday, June 8 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Men’s Singles Semifinals

Tennis Channel’s French Open Tonight Schedule

French Open Tonight airs Sunday, May 27-Thursday, June 7. The show generally runs from 6:30 p.m.-10 p.m. ET, and is then repeated twice from 10 p.m.-1:30 a.m., 1:30 a.m.-5 a.m. Exceptions are (all times ET):

Sunday, May 27 – 5 p.m.-8:30 p.m., followed by 8:30 p.m.-Midnight, 12 a.m.-3:30 a.m.

Saturday, June 2 – 4 p.m.-7:30 p.m., followed by 7:30 p.m.-11 p.m., 11 p.m.-2:30 a.m.

Sunday, June 3 – 4 p.m. -7:30 p.m., followed by 7:30 p.m.-11 p.m., 11 p.m.-2:30 a.m.

Tennis Channel (www.TennisChannel.com) launched on May 15, 2003, as the only 24-hour, television-based multimedia destination dedicated to tennis and the surrounding lifestyle. A hybrid of comprehensive sports, health, fitness, pop culture, entertainment, lifestyle and travel programming, the network is home to every aspect of the wide-ranging, worldwide tennis community. It also has the most concentrated single-sport coverage in television, with more than 60 tournaments annually, including week-after-week coverage throughout the season. In addition to singles competition, this includes comprehensive men’s, women’s and mixed doubles telecasts. Tennis Channel is carried by eight of the top 10 MSOs and has a national footprint via DIRECTV and Echostar’s DISH Network.

Select rights include:

· Roland Garros (the French Open)

· Australian Open

· US Open Series

· ATP Masters Series

· Top-tier Sony Ericsson WTA Tour championship competitions

· Davis Cup by BNP Paribas

· Fed Cup

· Hyundai Hopman Cup

· World TeamTennis

· Outback Champions Series



In 2006 The USTA invested in The Tennis Channel as an owner and partner with an eye towards using the multiplatform TV-based brand as a way to extend its mission of growing both the professional sport and grassroots interest of players around the country. The Tennis Channel houses an extensive library of matches from more than 80 percent of the top tennis competitions since that date. The network’s catalog of original series and specials includes player interviews, tournament behind-the-scenes, superstar “days in the life,” real-life tennis friendships, tennis vacations and hundreds of hours of exclusive documentary programming. These programs, combined with the channel’s extensive match coverage, offer the compelling, ongoing story of the game’s most dramatic rivalries, energetic personalities and emotional, yearlong journey. The Tennis Channel also offers a greater collection of tennis instructional programming than ever available to U.S. audiences.



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