Extensive 2008 Wimbledon Coverage on ESPN2 & ESPN360.com

Most Extensive Digital Rights Allows Fans to Watch in More Ways

June 16, 2008 -- With the start of a new six-year agreement between ESPN and the All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club, U.S. tennis fans will receive nearly 100 hours of Wimbledon: The Championships on ESPN2, plus the most extensive digital rights in Wimbledon history, largely via ESPN360.com, ESPN’s premier broadband service. In addition, Wimbledon programming will be found on ESPN Deportes, ESPN Classic, ESPN International and, for the first time, on ESPN Interactive Television.

"At the heart of ESPN's newly extended relationship with Wimbledon is our pledge to reach tennis fans wherever and however they consume this Grand Slam event, and this does that,” says Len DeLuca, ESPN senior vice president, programming & acquisitions.

ESPN2 will begin day-long live programming when play begins Monday, June 23, and continue daily through Sunday, July 6, starting with the first ball in play and continuing through a recap of the Gentlemen’s final, totaling 98.5 hours. Each weekday, ESPN2’s live coverage from London will begin at 7 a.m. ET, with:

* extensive live coverage of matches, including all-day coverage the first week;
* one ladies’ and one gentlemen’s semifinal (July 3 and 4, respectively);
* and a one-hour SportsCenter at Wimbledon aired immediately following NBC’s coverage of the ladies’ (Saturday, July 5 at 2 p.m.) and gentlemen’s (Sunday, July 6 at 3 p.m.) championship.

(Note: on June 30 – July 2, ESPN2 will provide alternate programming in the Pacific Time Zone from 1 - 4 p.m. ET, which is 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. PT.)

ESPN2’s Commentator Lineup

Dick Enberg will work his 25th Wimbledon to call matches, sharing the duty with Cliff Drysdale – the two-time Wimbledon semifinalist who has been with ESPN since its first tennis telecast in 1979. They will team with analysts Darren Cahill, Mary Carillo, Mary Joe Fernandez, Patrick McEnroe and Pam Shriver. In addition, Brad Gilbert, an ESPN analyst 2004 – 2006, returns after a two-year coaching stint. Shriver will frequently be utilized as a roving reporter covering play in “outer courts” and as a sideline reporter, as will Luke Jensen who will also appear on SportsCenter, ESPNEWS, ESPN Radio and ESPN.com. Chris Fowler, who has served as ESPN’s studio host for Grand Slam tennis events since 2003, will host and call select matches. In addition, legendary tennis journalist and commentator Bud Collins, who joined ESPN in August 2007, will make his Wimbledon debut for ESPN.

Did You Know?

ESPN’s Bud Collins, Cliff Drysdale and Dick Enberg have worked -- or, in Drysdale’s case, played -- in 281 Grand Slam events.

Roger Federer will be seeking a modern-era record sixth consecutive Wimbledon title while Venus Williams will defend the women’s championship for the fourth time. Recent French Open champions Rafael Nadal and Ana Ivanovic lead the field of challengers.

ESPN360.com will offer extensive live video with five streams of coverage, totaling 250 hours of programming during the fortnight, with action from a variety of courts plus live press conferences. Its coverage will begin with the Draw Announcement for the Gentlemen’s and Ladies’ brackets live Friday, June 20, at 5 a.m. ET (and available on demand thereafter).

After this Friday’s live announcement of the 128-player fields, ESPN360.com will feature five channels with extensive coverage both on and off the famed grass courts of The All England Club. Three channels will provide live coverage from Centre Court, Court One and Court Two. Another will provide a simulcast of ESPN2’s live coverage. The fifth will present press conferences live from the Media Centre. The first three channels will be operating whenever play is in session through Monday, June 30. On July 1 and 2, Centre Court, Court One and the ESPN2 feed will be available, with the ESPN2 feed also available July 3 and 4.

ESPN Interactive TV, a Wimbledon first for U.S. tennis fans, will be seen in 30 million homes served by DISH Network and DIRECTV. During the ESPN2 telecast windows the first five days of competition, it will feature a six-screen mosaic: the ESPN2 feed, four feeds from outer courts and “Wimbledon Extra," with look-ins on key matches, highlights, press conferences and interviews. All six can be expanded to full screen or picture-in-picture at the touch of the remote button. In addition, DIRECTV will offer “Matches On Now,” a graphic across the bottom of the screen with scores from each of the matches currently on the court channels, with the ability to tune directly to the match, and “Results,” an instant look at real-time scores and schedule info for matches ahead – all without leaving the match the viewer is watching.

ESPN Deportes, ESPN’s Spanish-language network in the U.S. will offer 51 hours from Wimbledon, highlighted by daily coverage through the semifinals. Luis Alfredo Alvarez will handle play-by-play with former tennis player Javier Frana as analyst. ESPN Deportes will feature a distinct production, focusing on Latino stars as well as the top-ranked players. There will also be extensive reporting from Wimbledon ESPN Deportes’ SportsCenter.

ESPN International will offer 70+ hours of live coverage pan-regionally in Latin America on ESPN Latin America and ESPN Latin America/Caribbean, in addition to daily primetime highlight programs. ESPN+ in the Southern Cone and ESPN Dos in the Northern Cone will supplement the coverage on ESPN Latin America with an additional 20+ hours of live tennis. Further, for the first time ever ESPN will air live Wimbledon coverage on its broadband service in Mexico, ESPN360 Mexico.

ESPN Classic’s Wimbledon Tribute - June 22

ESPN Classic will present an eight-hour Wimbledon Tribute Sunday, June 22, starting at 7 a.m., featuring some of the greatest players in tennis history facing off in classic finals matches, as well as a look at last year’s tournament and a preview of the 2008 competition.

7 a.m. 2007 Wimbledon Official Film

8 a.m. 2008 Wimbledon Preview Show

8:30 a.m. 1977 Gentlemen’s Final Bjorn Borg vs. Jimmy Connors - Bjorn Borg won his second straight Wimbledon title after Jimmy Connors battled back in the final set from 0-4 to 4-4, then lost his serve as Borg dramatically seized the last eight points and the match, 3-6, 6-2, 6-1, 5-7, 6-4.

10:30am 1978 Ladies’ Final Martina Navratilova vs. Chris Evert - When it was over, after she had come back from 2-4 in the final set by overpowering Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova thrust her arms straight up in the air, winner of her first of 18 Grand Slam titles, 2-6, 6-4, 7-5.

12:30pm 2000 Gentlemen’s Final Patrick Rafter vs. Pete Sampras - Pete Sampras attained a record-tying seventh Wimbledon and a record-breaking 13th Grand Slam title, beating Patrick Rafter 6-7 (10), 7-6 (5), 6-4, 6-2.

2:30pm 2008 Wimbledon Preview Show

ESPN – Your Home for Grand Slam Tennis

Tennis has been part of ESPN since its first week on the air and provided many memorable moments, but it has never been as important as today, with three of the four Grand Slam events and the US Open arriving in 2009. In 2008, ESPN will present approximately 400 hours of tennis coverage, and in 2009 the hours will climb to 600. Since 2005, nearly all the tennis coverage has aired on ESPN2.

ESPN debuted September 7, 1979, and the first tennis telecast was exactly one week later, September 14, a Davis Cup tie, Argentina at U.S. from Memphis with Cliff Drysdale on the call.

ESPN2’S FORTNIGHT AT WIMBLEDON: 2008

DATE / TIME (ET) / COVERAGE

Monday, June 23
7 - 5 p.m.
Early Round Day 1
Live

Tuesday, June 24
7 - 5:30 p.m.
Early Round Day 2
Live

Wednesday, June 25
7 - 5 p.m.
Early Round Day 3
Live

Thursday, June 26
7 - 2:30 p.m.
Early Round Day 4
Live

Friday, June 27
7 - 5:30 p.m.
Early Round Day 5
Live

Saturday, June 28
8 a.m. - Noon
Early Round Day 6
Live

3 - 7 p.m.
Early Round Day 6
Same day

Sunday, June 29
3 - 6 p.m.
Week One Highlights
Taped

Monday, June 30
7 - 10 a.m.
Round of 16
Live

1 - 6 p.m. - *
Round of 16
Live