WTA CEO Steve Simon said he "would like to see" the tour provide more clarity to its fans, including "a system where every event has a purpose and a meaning." Appearing on the "WTA Insider" podcast, Simon said, "I'm not sure a lot of our fans know the difference between an International series event and a Premier series event." Meanwhile, Simon said it is an "exciting time" for the WTA as it embarks on a five-year broadcast agreement with beIN Media Group beginning in '17 that will go from "producing approximately 800 matches a year to over 2,000, which is a significant jump." Simon: "Through our partnership with Perform we will now have a global audience going into 2017 at record levels that we have never seen before." Simon also said the WTA is "in a transition." Simon: "We have Serena (Williams) in the argument as one of the best players to ever play this game. ... But when I look at what's coming I'm just very excited" ("WTA Insider," WTA, 7/6).
NOT SHYING AWAY: ESPN's Hannah Storm in an interview with VICE SPORTS said the net during its Wimbledon coverage has done "a deep dive into" controversial topics surrounding the sport, which was "really critical, because at some point you have to address it." Storm: "If something was specifically relevant to a match at that time, obviously you would address it. ... As soon as there was a rain delay, all the announcers were mic'd up, they were on, everybody was on camera, and they went around about everything from drug use to points shaving. It's critical to address that because we are also a news organization." Storm added she thinks that fans are "seeing women, top to bottom, in positions of decision-making, which is important, and in positions of being able to influence, whether it's influence on business, on style, on thinking, on the sports culture" (SPORTS.VICE.com, 7/6).
