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May 27, 2012

Why is ESPN's US Open coverage starting later than USA's?

by Bob Sassone, posted Aug 24th 2009 7:06PM
US OpenAs I wrote last year, I'm really disappointed to see that USA Network won't be covering the US Open anymore (I guess tennis players are some of the characters that aren't welcome there).

Last year was their last year and ESPN takes over next Monday (they now have the rights to all four of the Grand Slam tournaments). While ESPN does a fine job with most of the sports they cover, the USA coverage was one of my favorite two weeks of the year, something I really looked forward to every August. I liked the announcers, I liked the direction and the production, and I liked their all-day and all-night schedule.

I have no reason to think that ESPN will ruin the Open, but there is one thing that worries me a little bit.

Their daily coverage of the tournament will be starting at 1PM, which is two hours later than the 11AM start that USA always had. Now, a lot of people might be thinking I'm just being greedy. After all, ESPN's coverage (actually, ESPN2's coverage) will run every day from 1PM to 6PM, and then again from 7PM to past midnight (whenever the late match ends). And even that hour between 6 and 7PM is going to be filled with a scoreboard/highlights show, so they're going to have almost nonstop coverage from 1PM to 11PM and even later.

Still, I want those two hours back. I wonder why they're starting a little later? Do we really need two hours of First Take?

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Julie

One good thing: ESPN360, on which you can watch full matches from any of the main courts, live or at your convenience. It's often the only way I get to see my favorite Marat Safin since he tends to flame out in the early rounds.

August 27 2009 at 3:44 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
kurt

Great - Buffoon alert! Is Burman going to archor the coverage? Get ready for Tennis with a crawler and ads in the corner for everything ESPN. Since I am not a 13 year old boy - it really is a challenge to watch anything on ESPN. Good luck tennis fans.

August 25 2009 at 7:32 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Anthony

Think of the coverage us Aussies get of the Australian Open. In QLD coverage ends at 4:30pm each day - then we get repeats of Home Improvement, Mash and Deal Or No Deal (Yes all repeats). The night session then starts on 1 hour delay from 7:30pm.

August 25 2009 at 2:49 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Ryan

Because Tennis Channel has the rights to show 11am - 1pm? I don't know. I hear your frustrations though.

Sigh.

August 24 2009 at 7:33 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply

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