List of Australian Open broadcasters

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Australia

Regular telecasts of the later stages of the Australian championships in Australia began in the mid 1960s. Channel 2 broadcast the 1965, 1966, 1968, 1970 and 1971 events. Channel 9 broadcast the 1969 event. From 1973 to 2018, the Seven Network served as the host broadcaster of the Australian Open. In March 2018, it was announced that the Nine Network had acquired the rights to the tournament beginning in 2020, for a period of five years. The network later bought the rights for the 2019 tournament as well. [1] The Open's broadcast rights are lucrative in the country, as it occurs near the end of the Summer non-ratings season — which gives its broadcaster opportunities to promote their upcoming programming lineup. [2] [3]

Contents

Below is a list of men's singles commentators for the host broadcaster.

YearNetwork Play-by-play Color commentators
1987 Seven Network John Barrett Allan Stone [4]
1985 Seven Network Garry Wilkinson & Peter Landy Allan Stone
1984 Seven Network Garry Wilkinson & Peter Landy Allan Stone [5]
1983 Seven Network Garry Wilkinson & Peter Landy Allan Stone [6]
1982 Seven Network Garry Wilkinson & Peter Landy Allan Stone
1981 Seven Network Garry Wilkinson & Peter Landy Allan Stone
1980 Seven Network Garry Wilkinson & Peter Landy Donald Dell
1979 Seven Network Garry Wilkinson & Peter Landy Donald Dell
1978 Seven Network Garry Wilkinson & Peter Landy Donald Dell
1977 Seven Network Michael Williamson Colin Long & John Newcombe
1976 Seven Network Michael Williamson Colin Long & Frank Sedgman [7]
1975 Seven Network Michael Williamson Colin Long & Frank Sedgman [8]
1974 Seven Network Michael Williamson Colin Long
1973 Seven Network Michael Williamson Colin Long

Europe

In United Kingdom the tournament was broadcast on Eurosport in 1990 [9] and has been broadcast on Eurosport since 1995 (from 1991 to 1994 Sky covered the event [10] ). BBC covered the finals live from 1995 [11] to 2015 (they also covered the final stages of the event in 1989 [12] ). The BBC dropped its live coverage of the 2016 tournament just a month before the start due to budget cuts (they now show highlights only), leaving Eurosport as the exclusive live broadcaster. Commentators for Eurosport in the UK include Simon Reed, Chris Bradnam, Nick Lester, Barry Millns, Pete Odgers, Jo Durie, Frew McMillan, Annabel Croft, Arvind Parmar and Chris Wilkinson. Other broadcasters in Europe have included SRG in Switzerland, NOS in Netherlands and RTS in Serbia. While in the 1970s/early '80s, ITV covered it as recorded highlights on World of Sport .

Other countries

Elsewhere, beIN Sports broadcasts it into the Middle East and Northern Africa, and SuperSport in Sub-Sahara Africa. In the United States, the tournament is broadcast on ESPN2, ESPN3 and the Tennis Channel. [13] The championship matches are televised live on ESPN. While it is broadcast on ESPN International in Central and Latin America. It is broadcast on TSN in Canada.

In Asia-Pacific region, the tournament is broadcast on five television networks in China, including national broadcaster CCTV, provincial networks Beijing TV, Shanghai TV and Guangdong TV and English language Star Sports, as well as online on IQIYI Sports. Elsewhere in the region, it is broadcast in Japan by national broadcaster NHK, and pay-TV network WOWOW. In the Indian Sub-continent, Sony Six has broadcast since 2015 and, in the rest of Asia, it is broadcast on Fox Sports Asia until the network's shutdown in 2021. [14]

IMG (company)'s Sport 24 has the inflight and in ship broadcast rights.

United States

YearNetwork Play-by-play Color commentators
2007 ESPN Dick Enberg Patrick McEnroe (men only) and Mary Carillo
2006 ESPN Dick Enberg Brad Gilbert and Mary Carillo
2005 ESPN Dick Enberg Patrick McEnroe and Mary Carillo
1996 ESPN Cliff Drysdale Betsy Nagelsen
1978 Hughes Bud Collins Donald Dell

Notes

  • Beginning in 2004, Dick Enberg served as a play-by-play announcer for ESPN2's coverage of the Wimbledon and French Open tennis tournaments, adding the Australian Open the following year. Enberg came to ESPN on lease from CBS, where he already called the US Open, the one Grand Slam tournament not covered by ESPN until 2009. ESPN asked CBS for permission to use Enberg during the summer of 2004 at both the French Open and Wimbledon. Enberg then surprised his new bosses by volunteering for the 2005 Australian Open in January 2005. "I've never been to Australia," he said. "At my age then [69], to be able to work a full Grand Slam is something I'd like to have at the back of my book."
  • Patrick McEnroe has worked for ESPN since 1995, where his versatility allows him to work play-by-play, as a studio host, or analyst. He is regularly paired with his brother John or Darren Cahill. Patrick works as the lead play-by-play man for many of ESPN's tennis events. [16]

See also

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References

  1. "Nine secures rights to the 2019 Australian Open tennis from Seven". The Sydney Morning Herald. 24 June 2018.
  2. "Nine secures Australian Open from 2020". TV Tonight. 29 March 2018. Retrieved 29 March 2018.
  3. "How do Australian TV networks get away with non-ratings period?". News.com.au. Retrieved 29 March 2018.
  4. "Stefan Edberg v Pat Cash Full match Australian Open 1987 Final". YouTube . Retrieved 31 May 2024.
  5. "Mats Wilander v Kevin Curren Full match Australian Open 1984 Final". YouTube . Retrieved 31 May 2024.
  6. "Mats Wilander v Ivan Lendl Full match Australian Open 1983 Final". YouTube . Retrieved 31 May 2024.
  7. "John Newcombe v Mark Edmondson Australian Open 1976 Final". YouTube . Retrieved 31 May 2024.
  8. "John Newcombe v Jimmy Connors full match Australian Open 1975". YouTube . Retrieved 31 May 2024.
  9. "The Guardian (TV listings), 24 January 1990". newspapers.com. 24 January 1990.
  10. "The Observer (TV listings), 17 January 1993". newspapers.com. 17 January 1993.
  11. "Tennis, BBC Genome". genome.ch.bbc.co.uk. 29 January 1995.
  12. "International Tennis, BBC Genome". genome.ch.bbc.co.uk. 29 January 1989.
  13. "2013 Australian Open TV Schedule on ESPN". sportsmediawatch.com.
  14. "Fox Sports Asia lands Australian Open rights until 2021". 10 January 2018. Retrieved 11 September 2018.
  15. "Collins and reunited with Enberg on ESPN's tennis coverage". ESPN.com. 7 August 2007.
  16. "Patrick McEnroe Bio". espnpressroom.com. ESPN Press Room. Archived from the original on 11 December 2019. Retrieved 11 December 2019.