The Tennis Network (TTN), a 24-hour, seven-day-a-week
"broadband programming venture," will become available
across the country in 2001, according to Lawrence Jeziak of
TENNIS WEEK in a special report on technology in the sport.
TTN co-Founder David Goodman said the net will combine "the
best of TV and the best of the Web." Five test sites "are
being established" in NY and NJ, and Goodman "projects" that
TTN will be in 350 tennis clubs by next year's U.S. Open and
1,000 clubs "will be connected one year later." Goodman
said that TTN has already obtained "exclusive rebroadcast
rights of Success Magazine Tour events" in the U.S. and that
"discussions are in progress" to broadcast early round
matches of the WTA and ATP Tours. Goodman "emphasizes
establishing a complete interactive tennis environment in
all participating clubs," where members will use TTN to
"schedule court time, enter tournaments and book tennis
vacations." Tennis clubs that meet TTN's "criteria
regarding membership" will have kiosks with 27-inch
monitors, "delivering non-stop programming." Goodman is
partners in TTN with CEO Alan Bornstein, Paul Tanwanteng and
Robert Garry, who served as CFO of the USTA through '98 and
was VP of the National Tennis Center (TENNIS WEEK, 10/12).
