The U.S. Open, which begins today, will air exclusively on ESPN for the first time, which is what the net "craved" after ceding coverage to CBS "for much of Labor Day weekend in recent years,” according to Richard Sandomir of the N.Y. TIMES. Exclusivity came to ESPN when CBS "ended its 47-year run last year, unwilling to pay the stiff price to retain what it had, including the semifinals and finals." Tennis Channel also "found the price of continuing to sublicense matches from ESPN too high." ESPN VP/Production Jamie Reynolds said, “It was hard to integrate the full arc of our coverage when we broke away for Labor Day weekend. We knew we were tapping out before the semis.” He added, “The beauty of what we can offer over 14 days is we have the platforms to distribute it all.” Sandomir notes ESPN’s “vise grip on the final major of the year will mean more time” with the analysts and broadcast crew. It also will “bring to the U.S. Open new or enhanced use of technical toys" like SpiderCam (above the court), RailCam, (ground-level action) and freeD (replay that can freeze and turn to show various angles). Those accustomed to watching early-round weekday matches on Tennis Channel “will have to shift" to ESPN3/WatchESPN to catch the 11:00am-1:00pm ET window. ESPN Senior VP/Programming Scott Guglielmino said that there was “no corporate directive to push the former Tennis Channel viewers to ESPN3” (N.Y. TIMES, 8/31).
SUNDAY FUNDAY: The AP’s Rachel Cohen noted for the first time since ‘07, the U.S. Open men's final “could be played on a Sunday.” A two-year schedule change, “partly prompted” by five straight years of rain, had pushed the last match to Monday. Cohen: "Gone for good is ‘Super Saturday,’ the old format pairing the men's semis and women's final. The men get their desired day off between the last two rounds, while the women's semis are now in Thursday prime time.” USTA Exec Dir Gordon Smith said, "'Super Saturday’ was great, but the intensity of the game and the physicality of the game really made that inappropriate.” He added that it “became clear in the last 5-7 years that it wasn't viable for the top men to play hugely important five-set matches on back-to-back days.” Cohen noted when the new ESPN deal allowed the USTA to "reshape the schedule from scratch.” Another change this year is that the men "now will complete the first round in two days instead of the previous three.” Guglielmino said that what was “enticing for ESPN" since its the same schedule as its other majors. Cohen noted having the women's semis on Thursday night also was “attractive for ESPN." Smith said that the USTA “wasn't concerned" about those matches going up against the NFL Kickoff game and he is "confident the large number of women in the tennis audience will choose to watch the Open” (AP, 8/30).
MARCH TO HISTORY? In L.A., Bill Dwyre notes Serena Williams, who is attempting to win a calendar-year Grand Slam, has her first match tonight at 7:00pm. Dwyre wrote of the timing for ESPN, “Williams couldn't have gone on her record chase at a more opportune time for the network. Ratings, baby” (L.A. TIMES, 8/31).
