LOS ANGELES, Feb. 1, 2021 – Tennis Channel’s two-week telecast of the 2021 Australian Open will take place Feb. 8-21, with more than 25 hours of live matches from the sport’s first major of the season. The network will devote more than 175 total hours to its 14th year of carrying the annual event in Melbourne, with same-day encores, nightly commentary and analysis in addition to live competition. Live matches begin Monday, Feb. 8, at 7 p.m. ET, and continue throughout championship weekend.
The network’s typical daily Australian Open schedule begins with the hourlong Tennis Channel Live at the Australian Openat 6 p.m. ET, followed by live matches from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. ET – during the morning in Melbourne (complete schedule below). At 7 a.m. ET the following day, Tennis Channel will show a six-hour window of encore matches from the day’s play Down Under (which took place during the U.S. late night and early morning). Prior to its first live coverage on Monday, Feb. 8, at 7 p.m. ET, the network will show first-round encores from the previous day’s play, beginning at 7 a.m. ET. Tennis Channel will also get the tournament conversation started Sunday, Feb. 7, at 6 p.m. ET, with a special introductory edition of Tennis Channel Live at the Australian Open.
Live tennis runs from the first round through the men’s doubles final on Saturday, Feb. 20, at 11 p.m. ET. The women’s doubles final will air live Friday, Feb. 19, at 12 a.m. ET, and the mixed-doubles final will be live Saturday, Feb. 20, at 5:30 a.m. ET.
As it has done every year since first televising the Australian Open in 2008, Tennis Channel will run all five tournament finals – men’s and women’s singles, doubles and mixed doubles – via live or encore coverage.
Australian Open On-Air Talent
All three of Tennis Channel’s 2021 Australian Open analysts found major success Down Under during their playing days. Martina Navratilova (@Martina), is one of the most accomplished athletes in history, and won 12 Australian Open titles in singles, doubles and mixed-doubles competition. Fellow Hall of Famer Lindsay Davenport (@LDavenport76) won the 2000 singles title and was a six-time doubles finalist in Melbourne. Paul Annacone (@paul_annacone) won the 1985 Australian Open doubles crown on his way to later coaching Pete Sampras and Roger Federer, two of the sport’s most decorated major champions.
Hosts and announcers Brett Haber (@BrettHaber) and Steve Weissman (@SteveWeissman) have won numerous sportscasting awards and are back with Tennis Channel’s Australian Open team in 2021.Sports Illustrated’s and CBS60 Minutes’ Jon Wertheim (@jonwertheim) also returns with special reports and his unique perspective and observations.
Digital Coverage
Throughout the tournament, Tennis Channel’s non-linear platforms will produce exclusive digital content for Tennis.com, Baseline.Tennis.com and TennisChannel.com. Network talent will create round-the-clock editorial coverage, and users will be able to find news, scores, interviews, video features and blogs. This includes the just-launched Think About Itpodcast of two-time Australian Open winner Victoria Azarenka, who is competing in the 2021 event.
Tennis Channel’s digital subscription service, Tennis Channel Plus,will feature Australian Open classics, video-on-demand matches and highlights from the Melbourne Summer Series.
Fans will also see daily live updates on the network’s social media platforms – Facebook (Facebook.com/TennisChannel), Twitter (Twitter.com/TennisChannel) and Instagram (Instagram.com/Tennischannel) – and Tennis Magazine’s Twitter (Twitter.com/Tennis) and Facebook (www.Facebook.com/TennisMedia) channels.
Tennis Channel’s 2021 Australian Open Live Coverage Schedule
(Men’s/Women’s Singles Unless Otherwise Specified)
Date Time (ET) Event
Monday, Feb. 8 6 p.m.-9 p.m. First Round
Tuesday, Feb. 9 6 p.m.-9 p.m. Second Round
Wednesday, Feb. 10 6 p.m.-9 p.m. Second Round
Thursday, Feb. 11 6 p.m.-9 p.m. Third Round
Friday, Feb. 12 6 p.m.-9 p.m. Third Round
Saturday, Feb. 13 6 p.m.-9 p.m. Round of 16
Sunday, Feb. 14 6 p.m.-9 p.m. Round of 16
Monday, Feb. 15 6 p.m.-9 p.m. Quarterfinals
Tuesday, Feb. 16 6 p.m.-9 p.m. Quarterfinals
Wednesday, Feb. 17 6 p.m.-11 p.m. Doubles
Thursday, Feb. 18 11 p.m.-2 a.m. Women’s Double Final
Saturday, Feb. 20 5:30 a.m.-7:30 a.m. Mixed-Doubles Final
11 p.m.-12:30 a.m. Men’s Doubles Final
Tennis Channel’s Encore Schedule of Men’s and Women’s Singles Semifinals and Finals
Date Time (ET) Event
Thursday, Feb. 18 6 a.m.-1 p.m. Men’s and Women’s Semifinals
4 p.m.-11 p.m. Men’s and Women’s Semifinals
Friday, Feb. 19 2 a.m.-3:30 a.m. Men’s and Women’s Semifinals
6 a.m.- 2 p.m. Men’s Semifinal
5 p.m.-3:30 a.m. Men’s and Women’s Semifinals
Saturday, Feb. 20 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Men’s Semifinals
5 p.m.-11 p.m. Women’s Final
Sunday, Feb. 21 6:30 a.m.-8 a.m. Women’s Final
12 p.m.-7 p.m. Men’s Final
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, Fed Cup, Laver Cup and the ATP 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 188 television stations in 88 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