LOS ANGELES, April 8, 2021 – Tennis Channel announcer Steve Weissman will continue to work with the network through 2025 as the result of a five-year contract extension. Weissman, who also hosts lead-in and post-match shows in addition to his play-by-play responsibilities, will remain the primary host of Tennis Channel Live, appearing in 90 percent of the conversational show’s annual editions. He has been with Tennis Channel since 2015.
“I’ve had so much fun working with my colleagues at Tennis Channel and am excited to be here deep into the next decade,” said Weissman. “With the exclusive coverage of both tours now, we’ve really become the unprecedented home of tennis for fans in the U.S. I look forward to sharing the upcoming storylines and non-stop action we’ve all learned to love.”
Weissman has become an increasingly visible on-air presence in his five years with the network. During the sport’s professional suspension in the early days of the 2020 pandemic, he hosted the channel’s three-hour daily show Tennis Channel Livefrom its Los Angeles studio. Without matches and by himself on a sanitized set, Weissman moderated Skype conversations with Tennis Channel analysts, professional players and representatives from around the sport. He was effective in bridging the gap between tennis’ hiatus in March of 2020 and its return in August. Under his new agreement he will add all four of the sport’s majors to his year-round work in studio and on the road. Along these lines, Weissman was a host and announcer during Tennis Channel’s Australian Open coverage in February.
“It’s been a pleasure for all of us to work with Steve,” said Bob Whyley, senior vice president of production and executive producer, Tennis Channel. “He has a well-rounded understanding of all sports and a passion for tennis in particular, which you can’t miss when you see him on air. He embraces every opportunity we throw his way and viewers are going to enjoy his continued contribution moving forward.”
Weissman is something of an anomaly in that he holds similar roles at two single-sport networks. In addition to Tennis Channel, he has also been a host and anchor at NFL Network since 2015, and currently is seen on the channel’s Total Access, NFL GameDay Live and news updates. He was part of NBC’s 2016 Summer Olympics team and spent five years with ESPN, where he appeared on SportsCenter, Outside the Lines, College Football Live, NFL Live and other programs. Weissman has won numerous awards from both the Michigan and Wisconsin Associations of Broadcasters, as well as each state’s Associated Press Awards.
A graduate of Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, Weissman resides in Los Angeles.
Tennis Channel(www.tennischannel.com), which is owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group, is the only 24-hour, television-based multimedia destination dedicated to both the professional sport and tennis lifestyle. A hybrid of comprehensive sports, health, fitness, pop culture, entertainment, lifestyle and travel programming, the network is home to every aspect of the wide-ranging, worldwide tennis community. It also has the most concentrated single-sport coverage in television, with telecast rights at the US Open, Wimbledon, Roland Garros (French Open), Australian Open, ATP World Tour events, WTA competitions, Davis Cup and Fed Cup. Tennis Channel is carried by all of the top 10 video providers.
About Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc.
Sinclair is a diversified media company and leading provider of local sports and news. The Company owns and/or operates 21 regional sports network brands; owns, operates and/or provides services to 186 television stations in 87 markets; is a leading local news provider in the country; owns multiple national networks; and has TV stations affiliated with all the major broadcast networks. Sinclair’s content is delivered via multiple platforms, including over-the-air, multi-channel video program distributors, and digital platforms. The Company regularly uses its website as a key source of Company information which can be accessed at www.sbgi.net.
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For further information:
Eric Abner, Tennis Channel, 310-314-9445, eabner@tennischannel.com, @TennisChannelPR