The Wimbledon championships will be broadcast
exclusively in the U.K. through 2004 by the BBC in a deal
scheduled to be announced today. The pact includes TV,
radio and some Internet rights (Miles Evans, BLOOMBERG,
6/22). The FINANCIAL TIMES' Patrick Harverson reported that
while the All England Club is "reluctant to disclose how
much it earns" from TV rights, it is in the "final year of a
five-year deal with the BBC that is believed to be worth"
US$47.7M. Media analysts say the Club may be able to earn
an additional $15.9M in a new broadcasting deal. The
European TV rights "were recently acquired" by Prisma Sports
& Media for an "estimated" $11.1-12.7M, while the "equally
lucrative" U.S. rights, which are shared by NBC and HBO, are
"due for renewal soon." After 2000, Wimbledon's TV revenues
"should exceed" $31.8M a year (FINANCIAL TIMES, 6/19).
THE CLUB: Wimbledon will also generate about $8M from
the sale of Centre Court seats, and "total receipts for the
fortnight probably total more than" $15.1M. Wimbledon has
"'suppliers' instead of sponsors" and has 11 such partners,
"ranging from established names such as Slazenger and Coca-
Cola to newcomers such as Nescafe." Harverson wrote,
"Courtside branding is kept to a minimum, while elsewhere
all is green and purple" (FINANCIAL TIMES, 6/19).
IS THE GRASS GREENBURG? HBO Sports Exec Producer Ross
Greenburg "anticipates doing more women's matches" in the
net's Wimbledon coverage. Greenburg: "We'll ride Andre
Agassi and Pete Sampras as long as they're available. But I
expect the women to be extremely competitive and
fascinating, so we're looking at upwards of 70 percent on
the women" (ATLANTA CONSTITUTION, 6/19).....Meanwhile, IBM
will power Wimbledon's official Web site, located at
wimbledon.org, for the fifth consecutive year (IBM).
WHERE IS SERENA? In NJ, Al Picker reports that during
HBO's Wimbledon coverage yesterday, analysts Billie Jean
King and Martina Navratilova both commented on Serena
Williams withdrawing from the tournament late last week due
to the flu. King: "I think it's a family thing. There's a
dilemma there. They are not sure how they want to handle it
when they find out they may play (each other) early in a
tournament." Navratilova: "I just wish they would tell the
truth, because flu is not the truth" (STAR-LEDGER, 6/22).
