LOS ANGELES, March 1, 2023 – Tennis Channel will once again turn into a 24-hour network dedicated to the BNP Paribas Open and Miami Open throughout the month of March, as two of the sport’s most important events begin the annual springtime season. From March 8-April 2, the channel will devote 32 days and more than 550 live and encore hours to these two tennis-calendar heavyweights, surpassed in number of players and days by only the four majors. Coverage from Indian Wells, Calif., and Miami Gardens, Fla., begins on the first day of BNP Paribas Open main-draw play, Wednesday, March 8, at 1 p.m. ET. The lineup will feature 12 consecutive hours of live matches, the first of many in March with extensive, half-day telecast windows followed by all-night encore replays (complete schedule below).
Underway March 8-19, Tennis Channel’s BNP Paribas Open coverage will include more than 115 hours of live matches and another 150-plus hours of encores this year. Most days begin at 1 p.m. ET with one-hour lead-in show Tennis Channel Live at the BNP Paribas Open, ahead of daylong competition starting at 2 p.m. ET. Championship weekend features men’s and women’s doubles finals Saturday, March 18, in a window with the men’s singles semifinals that gets going at 2 p.m. ET. Sunday, March 19, men’s and women’s singles finals close the event at 4 p.m. ET.
The network follows a similar schedule at the Miami Open March 21-April 2. A notable exception is the replacement of a daily lead-in show with the nightly Tennis Channel Live at the Miami Openat the conclusion of each evening’s play. More than 120 live and 170 encore hours are planned from Miami in 2023, with matches beginning at 11 a.m. ET most mornings. The final Saturday, April 1, will feature the women’s singles final at 1 p.m. ET, followed by the men’s doubles championship. Sunday, April 2, will see the reverse, with men’s singles and women’s doubles winners crowned, also set for 1 p.m. ET.
Live BNP Paribas Open and Miami Open competition will also stream on Tennis Channel Plus. The digital subscription service will make all matches from both events available on demand upon their completion.
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The network’s second linear television channel, T2, is free on Samsung TV Plus to everyone watching a Samsung television made in 2017 or later. T2 will again show live matches from Indian Wells and Miami that will not be carried on Tennis Channel. Viewers with both channels will be able to channel surf between the two to select the match of their preference, or stay on top of both. Daily coverage take place at the BNP Paribas Open from Wednesday, March 8, through Friday, March 17, beginning at 2 p.m. ET. Miami Open windows also begin at 2 p.m. ET and run from Wednesday, March 22, through Thursday, March 30.
Likewise, live coverage of both events will air on Bally Sports regional sports networks (RSNs) throughout the country this year. The channels will feature coverage at Indian Wells from Wednesday, March 8, to Tuesday, March 14, and from Miami Wednesday, March 22, through Wednesday, March 29.
On-Air Talent
Tennis Channel will have a full roster of accomplished former tennis professionals and decorated sportscasters on air during its coverage in Indian Wells and Miami. This includes 14 former tour players, six of whom are in the sport’s Hall of Fame.
Hall of Famer Martina Navratilova (@Martina) will offer analysis during the Miami Open again this year. As a player, she grabbed singles championships in Southern California in 1990-1991, and in South Florida in 1985, where she also won the doubles and mixed-doubles tournament that same year. Fellow analysts Jim Courier, Tracy Austin (@thetracyaustin), Lindsay Davenport (@LDavenport76), Pam Shriver (@PHShriver) and Andy Roddick (@andyroddick) round out the Hall of Fame representation in Tennis Channel’s tournament booths this March. Courier was the first man to win the singles “Sunshine Double” in 1991, taking both events while also winning the doubles championship in Indian Wells. He won the BNP Paribas Open singles title a second time in 1993, and will offer his perspective during both events.
As will Davenport, who hails from Southern California and dominated the desert during her playing days. She won eight titles between 1997-2003: two singles (1997, 2000) and six doubles (1994-1995, 1997-1998, 2000 and 2003) crowns at the event. Shriver won doubles championships in Indian Wells (1989) and Miami (1986-1987), while Roddick won doubles at the BNP Paribas Open (2009) and singles at the Miami Open (2004, 2010). Both will be on air for Tennis Channel in Indian Wells.
Her first time in Miami as a Tennis Channel analyst this year, Caroline Wozniacki (@CaroWozniacki) was a finalist at the event in 2017. She won the BNP Paribas Open singles title in 2011 and reached the final again in 2013 and 2010. Analyst Chanda Rubin (@Chanda_Rubin) won the BNP Paribas Open doubles championship in 1996 and will lend her voice to both events in 2023. So will Jan-Michael Gambill (@JanmikeGambill), a Miami Open singles finalist in 2001 and doubles finalist in 1999. Former player and major-champion coach
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Paul Annacone (@paul\annacone) will also offer his thoughts during both events this month. In 1985 and 1987 he won doubles crowns in Miami. Announcer Mark Knowles (@Knowlzee10s) took the doubles title home from Indian Wells in 2006, and reached the doubles final in Miami two years later. Former players Leif Shiras (@ShirasLeif), Jason Goodall and Mark Petchey (@\markpetchey) will announce matches during Tennis Channel’s coverage this year month as well. Shiras will be on air for both, while Goodall (Indian Wells) and Petchey (Miami) will split duties between the two. Prakash Amritraj (@PrakashAmritraj) completes the list of tour professionals on air this year. He will conduct interviews on the Miami tournament desk along with partner and fellow network global reporter Dani Klupenger (@daniklup).
The Tennis Channel Live lead-in and wrap-up shows will be hosted by network announcer Steve Weissman (@SteveWeissman), who will work with Roddick in Indian Wells, and Annacone and Rubin during Miami. Announcer Noah Eagle (@NoahEagle15) will also appear onTennis Channel Live at the Miami Open_.
Emmy Award-winning sportscaster and longtime Tennis Channel announcer Brett Haber (@BrettHaber) will handle play-by-play responsibilities during both events again this year. Ari Wolfe (@ariwolfe) and Geoff Chizever (@Geoff_Chiz) will do the same.
Digital
During Indian Wells and Miami, the free Tennis.com website and app will provide highlights, scores, news, head-to-head matchup statistics, win-probability rates and estimated start times. Users can access Tennis Channel’s Match Point predictor game (https://predictor.tennis.com/en) while Indian Wells is in session and answer questions for the chance to win from a list of prizes, a trip to next year’s tournament among them. The network’s on-air team members will also be active on Instagram from Southern California and South Florida throughout March.
Tennis Channel’s YouTube (www.youtube.com/user/tennischannel), Facebook (www.facebook.com/tennischannel), Twitter (www.twitter.com/tennischannel) and Instagram (www.instagram.com/tennischannel) platforms will keep fans up to the minute this month, as will Tennis.com’s Facebook (www.facebook.com/TennisMedia) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/Tennis) accounts.
Tennis Channel’s Live BNP Paribas Open Coverage Schedule
(Men’s ATP/Women’s WTA Singles Unless Otherwise Specified)
Date Time (ET) Event _
Wednesday, March 8 1 p.m.-1 a.m. ATP/WTA First Round
Thursday, March 9 1 p.m.-1 a.m. ATP/WTA First Round
Friday, March 10 1 p.m.-1 a.m. ATP/WTA Second Round
Saturday, March 11 1 p.m.-1 a.m. ATP/WTA Second Round
Sunday, March 12 1 p.m.-1 a.m. ATP/WTA Third Round
Monday, March 13 1 p.m.-1 a.m. ATP/WTA Third Round
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Tuesday, March 14 1 p.m.-1 a.m. ATP/WTA Round of 16
Wednesday, March 15 1 p.m.-11 p.m. ATP/WTA Quarterfinals
Thursday, March 16 1 p.m.-11 p.m. ATP/WTA Quarterfinals
Friday, March 17 1 p.m.-1 a.m. WTA Semifinals,
ATP/WTA Doubles Semifinals
Saturday, March 18 1 p.m.-10 p.m. ATP Semifinals, ATP/WTA Doubles Finals
Sunday, March 19 3 p.m.-9 p.m. ATP/WTA Singles Finals
Tennis Channel’s Live Miami Open Coverage Schedule
(Men’s ATP/Women’s WTA Singles Unless Otherwise Specified)
Date Time (ET) Event _
Tuesday, March 21 11 a.m.-8:30 p.m. WTA First Round
Wednesday, March 22 11 a.m.-11:30 p.m. ATP/WTA First Round
Thursday, March 23 11 a.m.-11:30 p.m. ATP First Round, WTA Second Round
Friday, March 24 11 a.m.-11:30 p.m. ATP/WTA Second Round
Saturday, March 25 11 a.m.-11:30 p.m. ATP Second Round, WTA Third Round
Sunday, March 26 11 a.m.-11:30 p.m. ATP/WTA Third Round
Monday, March 27 11 a.m.-11:30 p.m. ATP Third Round, WTA Round of 16
Tuesday, March 28 11 a.m.-11:30 p.m. ATP Round of 16, WTA Quarterfinals
Wednesday, March 29 1 p.m.-5 p.m.,
7 p.m.-11:30 p.m. ATP/WTA Quarterfinals
Thursday, March 30 1 p.m.-5 p.m.,
7 p.m.-11:30 p.m. ATP Quarterfinals, WTA Semifinals,
Friday, March 31 1 p.m.-4:30 p.m.,
7 p.m.-11 p.m. ATP Semifinals, WTA Doubles Semifinals
Saturday, April 1 1 p.m.-5:30 p.m. WTA Singles Final, ATP Doubles Final
Sunday, April 2 1 p.m.-5:30 p.m. ATP Singles Final, WTA Double Final
Tennis Channel(www.tennischannel.com) which is owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group, is the only television-based multiplatform destination dedicated to both the professional sport and tennis lifestyle. The network has the most concentrated single-sport coverage in television in one of the world’s most voluminous sports, with multiple men’s and women’s tournaments and singles, doubles and mixed competition throughout the year. Tennis Channel has rights at the four majors – US Open, Wimbledon, Roland Garros (French Open) and Australian Open – and is the exclusive U.S. home of all men’s ATP World Tour and women’s WTA Tour competitions, Laver Cup and Billie Jean King Cup. Direct-to-consumer streaming service Tennis Channel Plusis available to everyone in the United States and allows subscribers to select from another 4,500 live and on-demand matches and award-winning content from short-form to films throughout the tennis season. Tennis Channel Internationalbrings live competition and network content to markets in Europe and Asia via digital subscription and free ad-supported streaming
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TV (FAST) channels.Additional platform www.tennis.com is the largest digital outlet dedicated to the sport. Tennis Channel also manages a network of close to 20 podcasts.
About Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc.
Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: SBGI) is a diversified media company and a leading provider of local news and sports. The Company owns, operates and/or provides services to 185 television stations in 86 markets affiliated with all the major broadcast networks; owns Tennis Channel and multicast networks Comet, CHARGE! and TBD; and owns and provides services to 21 regional sports network brands. Sinclair’s content is delivered via multiple platforms, including over-the-air, multi-channel video program distributors, and the nation’s largest streaming aggregator of local news content, NewsON. 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