LOS ANGELES, Oct. 7, 2021 – In its first year as the exclusive home of the BNP Paribas Open – one of the most prestigious events in the sport – Tennis Channel is adding another first: the network will pair legendary doubles partners Martina Navratilova (@Martina) and Pam Shriver (@PHShriver) to cover a match for the first time on U.S. television. Navratilova and Shriver, who together won 74 doubles championships and are the only women’s doubles team to win all four majors in a single calendar year, will appear together during the third match of the day Saturday, Oct. 9, likely between 6 p.m.-8 p.m. ET.
Shriver will announce, with Navratilova offering analysis. The duo will also team up to call a match on Tennis Channel Sunday, Oct. 10.
Tennis Channel, its streaming service Tennis Channel Plus and the Bally Sports regional networks owned by its parent company Sinclair Broadcast Group are the only places to watch the BNP Paribas Open, taking place now through Sunday, Oct. 17.
Tennis Hall of Famers Navratilova and Shriver partnered to create one of the most dominant doubles teams in history. They won 74 championships, with 20 of them at the four majors. From 1983 to 1985 they won 109 matches in a row, capturing the “Calendar Grand Slam” – Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, US Open – in 1984, the only women’s doubles team to ever accomplish the feat. They claimed 10 WTA Tour Championships between 1981 and 1992. Navratilova and Shriver were named the WTA Tour’s “Doubles Team of the Year” every year from 1981 to 1988.
They have never called a match together on U.S. television.
Tennis Channel’s BNP Paribas Open coverage is running from October 6-17 and features daylong, 12-hour match blocks and all-night encore replays. The network is providing close to 170 hours of coverage during the 12-day competition at tennis’ “Fifth Slam.” In addition to Navratilova and Shriver, the network’s on-air roster includes Hall of Famers Jim Courier and
Lindsay Davenport (@LDavenport76), and former players Chanda Rubin (@Chanda\Rubin), James Blake (@JRBlake), Paul Annacone (@paul\annacone), Andy Roddick (@andyroddick), Bob Bryan (@Bryanbros), Mike Bryan (@Bryanbros) and Prakash Amritraj (@PrakashAmritraj), as well as injury-rehabbing current player Genie Bouchard (@geniebouchard). In all, the members of Tennis Channel’s on-air team reached the BNP Paribas Open finals 31 times, winning 19 championships.
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, Laver Cup and Fed Cup. Tennis Channel is carried by all of the top 10 video providers.
About Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc.
Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: SBGI) is a diversified media company and a 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 185 television stations in 86 markets, owns multiple national networks including Tennis Channel and Stadium; 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 and streaming platforms NewsOn and STIRR. The Company regularly uses its website as a key source of Company information which can be accessed atwww.sbgi.net.
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For further information:
Eric Abner, Tennis Channel, 310-314-9445, eabner@tennischannel.com, @TennisChannelPR