THE MASTERS: ESPN’s 2013 Masters Coverage Plans

It is Masters week at long last and here is ESPN’s coverage plans and announcers for the 2013 staging of the Tournament:

ESPN at the Masters Tournament

One of the great traditions of spring, the Masters Tournament at Augusta (Ga.) National Golf Club will kick off ESPN’s championship golf schedule for 2013. In its sixth year at the Masters, ESPN will air 4.5 hours of live Tournament play daily from the first two rounds, the traditional Par 3 Contest the day preceding the Tournament and four days of action on the ESPN 3D Network. Expansive news, information and analysis will appear on a variety of ESPN platforms in the U.S. and internationally, including television, radio, online and mobile devices.

ESPN and ESPN Deportes will air 4.5 hours of live first and second round action on Thursday, April 11, and Friday, April 12, from 3-7:30 p.m. ET with an edited encore presentation in prime time each night from 8-11 p.m. Live ESPN coverage will also be simulcast on ESPN3 and WatchESPN. The ESPN 3D Network will air three hours of live play from the first two rounds each day starting at 4:30 p.m. as well as live play from the Saturday and Sunday rounds at 4 p.m.

Prior to the live television windows Thursday and Friday, SportsCenter will air updates every 30 minutes beginning at 9 a.m. daily.

Mike Tirico will serve as host of ESPN’s Thursday and Friday telecasts and will conduct player interviews from Augusta National’s Butler Cabin with analyst Curtis Strange. CBS will again produce the telecasts with CBS’ golf announce crew also contributing to the coverage.

SportsCenter at the Masters

ESPN’s flagship news and information program SportsCenter will feature live updates from Augusta National Golf Club throughout the Masters Tournament beginning the afternoon of Monday, April 8.

On the first two days of play, Thursday and Friday, April 11-12, SportsCenter will bring viewers up to date from Augusta every 30 minutes with highlights, scores and interviews until ESPN’s telecast of live play begins at 3 p.m. each day. Included will be Thursday’s traditional ceremonial first tee shot with legendary golfers Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player.

A one-hour SportsCenter at the Masters special will air Wednesday, April 10, at 5 p.m. on ESPN with a preview of the tournament. Host Scott Van Pelt will be joined by analyst Andy North and reporter Tom Rinaldi as well as ESPN.com national columnist Gene Wojciechowski and Rick Reilly, ESPN.com columnist and SportsCenter essayist. The SportsCenter special follows ESPN’s telecast of the Masters Par 3 Tournament from 3-5 p.m.

Several player press conferences will take place on Tuesday, April 9, and SportsCenter will air the news conferences of Rory McIlroy (9:30 a.m.), Tiger Woods (1 p.m.) and Phil Mickelson (2:30 p.m.).

Van Pelt and Mike Tirico will host SportsCenter reports from the Masters with North and Rinaldi and contributions from analysts Curtis Strange and Paul Azinger.

Wojciechowski will present a feature on 14-year-old Tianlang Guan, the youngest golfer ever to qualify for the Masters. The young phenom is shown during preparations in his native China, where Wojciechowski and an ESPN crew spent a week with him, and ESPN spent time with him as he first arrived at Augusta.

Also airing across multiple ESPN programs including SportsCenter will be Tirico’s conversation with Tiger Woods at the recent PGA TOUR event in Orlando.

The Masters on ESPN 3D

ESPN’s television coverage will include 12 hours of programming in 3D on the ESPN 3D network, with three hours daily from all four rounds of Tournament action. Thursday and Friday’s telecasts begin at 4:30 p.m. while the weekend telecasts begin at 4 p.m. Sean McDonough will host ESPN 3D’s telecasts of the first two rounds with analyst Paul Azinger, while Azinger will join host Mike Tirico and analyst Curtis Strange for the weekend rounds.

Masters Par 3 Contest

The fun and family-oriented Masters Par 3 Contest will air Wednesday, April 10, from 3-5 p.m. on ESPN and ESPN3. The Par 3 Contest, which began in 1960, was first televised by ESPN in 2008. On the telecast, Mike Tirico, Andy North and Curtis Strange will be joined by Tom Rinaldi, who will conduct interviews on the putting green.

The Masters on ESPN Deportes

ESPN Deportes, ESPN’s multimedia, Spanish-language sports brand dedicated to providing the widest variety of sports to the U.S. Hispanic sports fan, will have live television coverage of the first and second rounds of the Masters Tournament on Thursday and Friday, April 11-12, from 3-7:30 p.m. Francisco Aleman (analyst), Silvia Bertolaccini (play-by-play) and John Sutcliffe (on-course reporter) will call the action from Augusta National Golf Club.

In addition, ESPNDeportes.com, the No. 1 Spanish-language sports website among Spanish-preferred fans in the U.S., will offer extensive Masters coverage at its golf index page, including:

· Chats with the on-air experts.
· Various feature golf columns leading up to first-round play and post reports daily.
· Previews and analysis, including a hole by hole preview
· Nightly ESPN video wrap by ESPN Deportes’ golf experts on site.
· Daily blogs
· Real-time leaderboards
· Hole-by-hole analysis
· Daily tournament photo galleries and video highlights
· Daily polls

The Masters on Other ESPN Digital Platforms

WatchESPN

All Masters programming on ESPN is also available on computers, smartphones, tablets and Xbox via WatchESPN, accessible to fans who receive their video subscription from an affiliate provider including Time Warner Cable, Bright House Networks, Verizon FiOS TV, Comcast Xfinity TV, Midcontinent Communications, Cablevision, Cox, Charter Communications and AT&T U-verse.

ESPN.com

News, reactions and columns from senior golf writers Farrell Evans and Bob Harig, national columnist Gene Wojciechowski and Rick Reilly, columnist and SportsCenter essayist.
“Digital Drive,” an exclusive ESPN.com program hosted by Scott Van Pelt and Andy North, will be produced each night Wednesday-Sunday of Masters week.
Live chat, featuring new “Scribble Live” application, moderated by golf reporter Michael Collins and ESPN The Magazine’s Sarah Turcotte.
A new original digital comedy video with defending Masters champion Bubba Watson and Collins debuts April 4.
Collins will hand out nightly grades for the top 10 players in the world plus other notable names.
“Championship Central” on the ESPN.com/Golf index page focusing on the majors and the Presidents Cup.
ESPN Golf Cast with an easy to use interface with scoring, video and social media elements.
Links to Masters.com incorporating traffic roll-up of live feeds from Amen Corner, Holes 15 and 16 and the Featured Group 1 and Featured Group 2 channels.
Pre-Tournament coverage began in mid-March with the “Road to The Masters” series tracking the latest news and historical reviews of the year’s first major. Included are more than 50 Masters Moments video highlights.
Daily Masters coverage began April 1 with ESPN analyst Andy North ranking his best 10 shots in Masters history by a Masters winner. The video series began with the 10th ranking and will conclude Wednesday, April 10, with the No. 1 shot.
Interactive elements including Best Ball Challenge and Masters conversation pages.
Video clips from ESPN golf analysts Andy North, Curtis Strange and Paul Azinger.
Photo Galleries
Live scoring from Masters.com.

ESPN3

ESPN’s multi-screen, live event sports network will simulcast ESPN’s telecast of the Masters Par 3 Contest on Wednesday, April 10, from 3-5 p.m. and the first and second rounds of play on Thursday and Friday, April 11-12, from 3-7:30 p.m.

Additional coverage of the Masters on ESPN platforms:

ESPN Radio

Dan Davis will provide coverage through all four rounds of The Masters for ESPN Radio and ESPNRadio.com. His in-play reports will run during SportsCenter updates twice an hour. Davis will also guest on network talk shows. Additionally, the weekly Ian O’Connor Show (Sundays 7-9 a.m.) will originate from Augusta on April 14.

ESPNRadio.com will highlight player interviews, course analysis and up-to-the-minute updates of the Masters.

ESPN The Magazine

The “Photo” issue of ESPN The Magazine, on newsstands April 5, contains a two-page Masters preview by Scott Miller in the Playbook section. ESPN golf analysts Paul Azinger and Curtis Strange break down Holes 13, 14, 15 and 16 at Augusta National Golf Club.

ESPN International

This year 72 countries will see the Masters on ESPN platforms and can follow the event on ESPN television, online, mobile and broadband platforms.

Latin America and the Caribbean (all four rounds and the Par 3 Contest coverage to 51 countries and more than 41 million households).
For the first time ever, a live 30-minute preview show will air prior to all four rounds of the Masters in Spanish-speaking Latin America.
In Canada, TSN will air the first two rounds of the Masters and the Par 3 Contest live with same day re-airs in primetime of the third and final rounds. RDS will carry all four rounds live in French and the TSN.ca digital platforms will stream exclusive live coverage of “Amen Corner,” a Featured Group of the day, plus holes 15 and 16. TSN’s television networks reach approximately 15 million households.
In Northern Africa and the Middle East – excluding Israel – all four rounds and the Par 3 Contest will be televised to 21 countries.
The Par 3 Contest, all four rounds of the Masters and exclusive broadband coverage of “Amen Corner,” a Featured Group of the day and holes 15 and 16 will be live on ESPN Play in Spanish-speaking Latin America and on ESPN Play via the WatchESPN platform in Brazil. Additionally, for the first time, a mobile/tablet version of ESPN Play will be available in Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Venezuela, Argentina, Uruguay, Jamaica and Trinidad & Tobago.

ESPN Classic

ESPN Classic will feature a tribute to the Masters in the days leading up to ESPN’s live coverage of the event with 43 hours of special programming. The tribute begins Tuesday, April 9, at 8 p.m. ET with an airing of highlights of the 1963 Masters won by Jack Nicklaus, on the 50th anniversary of that tournament, and will run straight through until 3 p.m. on Thursday, April 11, when ESPN’s live coverage of the 2013 Masters begins. Following the airing of the 1963 event, other Masters that are celebrating important anniversary dates also will air before the tribute airs highlights from every Masters played since 1960, starting chronologically with the 1960 Masters at 1:30 a.m. on Wednesday, April 10.

The Masters Tournament – Augusta National Golf Club, Augusta, GA

(all times Eastern)

Day/Date Program Time Networks
Wed., April 10 Masters Par 3 Contest 3 p.m. ESPN, ESPN3, WatchESPN
SportsCenter at the Masters 5 p.m. ESPN, WatchESPN
Thu., April 11 First Round 3 p.m. ESPN, ESPN Deportes, ESPN3, WatchESPN
First Round 4:30 p.m. ESPN 3D
First Round (encore) 8 p.m. ESPN, WatchESPN
Fri., April 12 Second Round 3 p.m. ESPN, ESPN Deportes, ESPN3, WatchESPN
Second Round 4:30 p.m. ESPN 3D
Second Round (encore) 8 p.m. ESPN, WatchESPN
Sat., April 13 Third Round 4 p.m. ESPN 3D
Sun., April 14 Final Round 4 p.m. ESPN 3D

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GOLF: Is The Masters on CBS Expanding With an Extra 30 Minutes on Saturday

UPDATED: CBS Sports issued their yearly press release yesterday touting all their golf coverage for the coming season. In it, they contained this interesting nugget about The Masters:

The Masters, the most renowned golf tournament and the longest-running sports event on CBS Sports will be showcased for the 58th consecutive year from Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Ga. Coverage includes a pair of 15-minute highlight shows recounting early-round action on Thursday, April 11 and Friday, April 12 (11:35-11:50 PM, ET, both nights). Live coverage of the third round will be broadcast on Saturday, April 13 (3:00-7:00 PM, ET) and live 18-hole final-round coverage will be presented on Sunday, April 14 (2:00-7:00 PM, ET).

The news here is this: Saturday’s coverage is listed as 3-7pm ET. I have confirmed through CBS Sports spokeswoman Jennifer Sabatelle that that is indeed correct, so golfers have gotten what they wanted: more coverage of The Masters via an additional 30 minutes of coverage on Saturday (it was previously 3:30-7pm ET).

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TV SPORTS: NBC Replaces Wimbledon With…

…the European Tour! Two years ago, NBC lost the Wimbledon rights to ESPN. Because of that, NBC has some open weekends in the summer to fill with programming. It was a non-issue in 2012 because the London Olympics took care of the open slots. But 2013 is a different story, and NBC decided to go with golf. Here’s the GolfChannel.com story on it:

This year’s Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open, to be held July 11-14, will become the first regular European Tour event to be shown live on a major U.S. TV broadcast, it was announced Tuesday.

NBC will broadcast 2 ½ hours of live coverage during the third and fourth rounds from Castle Stuart in 2013 and Royal Aberdeen in ’14. Until now, only major championships, World Golf Championships events and leading team events connected to the European Tour have been shown live on American broadcast networks.

George O’Grady, the chief executive of the European said, said in a statement: “Following the vision and leadership of the Golf Channel, we are delighted to enter into this historic new agreement with NBC for live coverage of the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open for the next two years. It speaks volumes for the quality of the European Tour product, and specifically the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open, that one of our most prestigious championships will be shown to a new audience on one of the prime TV networks in the United States in conjunction with our already outstanding coverage on the Golf Channel.”

The TV coverage schedule:

Thursday, July 11: Round 1 coverage on Golf Channel

Friday, July 12: Round 2 coverage on Golf Channel

Saturday, July 13: Lead-in Round 3 coverage on Golf Channel; live Round 3 coverage on Golf Channel on NBC

Sunday, July 14: Lead-in Round 4 coverage on Golf Channel; live Round 4 coverage on Golf Channel on NBC

Certainly is interesting.

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TENNIS: Tennis Channel’s 2013 Australian Open Coverage Plans and Announcers

Here’s Tennis Channel’s coverage plans and announcers for the 2013 Australian Open:

TENNIS CHANNEL’S AUSTRALIAN OPEN COVERAGE BEGINS MONDAY, JANUARY 14

LOS ANGELES, January 7, 2013 —

Largest On-Air Team in Network’s Melbourne History Features Navratilova, Macatee, Davenport, Haber, Gimelstob, Wertheim and Stubbs
During Tennis’ First Major Event of 2013

New Day-Session/Night-Session Format for Daily Highlight and Encore Show
Australian Open Today as Tennis Channel Devotes More Than 180 Hours to Competition

Tennis Channel’s sixth year of televising the Australian Open, the first major tournament of the annual tennis season, will begin Monday, Jan. 14, at 7 p.m. ET. The network plans for more than 30 hours of live match telecasts during the two-week competition again this year, with more than 180 hours of dedicated tournament coverage overall. In addition to 10 consecutive nights of live prime-time matches running into the middle of the second week (complete schedule follows), Tennis Channel viewers will again be able to tune in throughout the competition for encore match coverage and a sense of where things stand as the tournament progresses.

New for 2013 is a retooled format for daily highlight and encore-match show Australian Open Today. Previously a single programming block that ran once in the morning and again each afternoon, this year’s version will feature two daily editions, one dedicated to the tournament’s most recent day session and one to the most recent night session. This nearly doubles the amount of first-run Australian Open Today programming, from 41 hours in 2012 to an estimated 72 hours in 2013.

In 2008, when Tennis Channel began carrying the Australian Open, it became the first U.S. television network to show all five Australian Open finals: mixed doubles and men’s and women’s singles and doubles – a pattern it has repeated each January. The network’s live schedule begins with first-round play and continues through the singles quarterfinals, wrapping with the men’s and women’s doubles finals and mixed doubles championship. Same-day men’s and women’s singles finals encores round out the other two finals, and Tennis Channel will air same-day men’s and women’s singles semifinal encores as well.

The tournament is part of Tennis Channel’s ongoing Grand Slam alliance with ESPN, which offers audiences a near round-the-clock tournament experience at tennis’ major events. ESPN is producing all Australian Open coverage for both networks, which will cross-promote each other, with each channel utilizing its own commentators.

Australian Open On-Air Talent

Tennis Channel’s 2013 Australian Open on-air team is the largest in network history Down Under. Sportscaster Bill Macatee (@BMacatee) and Hall of Fame former player Martina Navratilova (@Martina) have been the faces of every Grand Slam covered by Tennis Channel since the network’s first French Open in 2007. They will return to Melbourne in 2013, with Macatee handling play-by-play again and Navratilova on analyst’s detail. Emmy Award-winning announcer Brett Haber (@BrettHaber) and commentator Justin Gimelstob (@justingimelstob) are also back. Gimelstob’s thorough understanding of tennis history and the game’s challenges today, along with his close ties with players and the sport’s governing bodies, have made his insight among the most sought after tennis.

Lindsay Davenport (@LDavenport76), who won the Australian Open singles title in 2000 and reached the doubles final six times, will lend her championship perspective to Tennis Channel’s booth in Australia while one of that country’s own, Rennae Stubbs (@rennaestubbs), will handle specials reports and vignettes. Stubbs won the tournament’s doubles crown in 2000 and holds more women’s doubles championships overall than any player in Australia’s rich tennis history. Reporter Jon Wertheim (@jon_wertheim) will also appear on the network in Melbourne this year. His columns for Sports Illustrated are among the most read in tennis (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/writers/jon_wertheim/archive/).

Digital Coverage

During the Australian Open renowned tennis reporters Steve Flink and Joel Drucker (@joeldrucker) will provide regular columns on Tennis Channel’s Web site, http://www.tennischannel.com. In addition to real-time scoring, video highlights, interviews, Australian Open Today clips and an interactive Australian Open draw, the site will offer the exclusive Racquet Bracket tournament prediction game. This year the game has been upgraded with new features and a more user-friendly interface. Visitors also have the chance to enter the network’s Australian Open sweepstakes, for the chance to win a trip to next year’s event.

Beyond its own Web site, Tennis Channel engages with viewers and tennis fans on Facebook (www.facebook.com/tennischannel), Twitter (www.twitter.com/tennischannel), YouTube (www.youtube.com/tennischannel) and Viddy (www.viddy.com/tennischannel).

Tennis Channel’s Live Australian Open Match Schedule (all times ET)

Date Time Event

Monday, Jan. 14 7 p.m.-9 p.m. First Round

Tuesday, Jan. 15 7 p.m.-9 p.m. Second Round

Wednesday, Jan. 16 7 p.m.-11 p.m. Second Round

Thursday, Jan. 17 7 p.m.-11 p.m. Third Round

Friday, Jan. 18 7 p.m.-9 p.m. Third Round

Saturday, Jan. 19 7 p.m.-9 p.m. Round of 16

Sunday, Jan. 20 7 p.m.-9 p.m. Round of 16

Monday, Jan. 21 7 p.m.-9 p.m. Men’s and Women’s Quarterfinals

Tuesday, Jan. 22 7 p.m.-9 p.m. Men’s and Women’s Quarterfinals

Wednesday, Jan. 23 7 p.m.-9:30 p.m. TBA

Thursday, Jan. 24 11 p.m.-3 a.m. Mixed Doubles Semifinal

and Women’s Doubles Final

Saturday, Jan. 26 5:30 a.m.-7:30 a.m. Men’s Doubles Final

Sunday, Jan. 27 12:30 a.m.-2:30 a.m. Mixed Doubles Final

Tennis Channel’s Australian Open Today Schedule (all times ET)

Tennis Channel’s Australian Open Today will air daily the first 10 days of the tournament, from Monday, Jan. 14-Wednesday, Jan. 23.

On Monday, Jan. 14, the day-session edition of the show will air from 7 a.m.-11 a.m., followed by the night-session edition from 3 p.m.-7 p.m. During the remainder of the first week of play, from Tuesday, Jan. 15-Friday, Jan. 18, the show will air in two back-to-back segments representing the day and night sessions, from 7 a.m.-10:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 19, will offer the day-session edition from 10 a.m.-1 p.m., and night-session edition from 1 p.m.-4 p.m., followed by an encore presentation from 4 p.m.-7 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 20, also will feature a day-session edition from 7 a.m.-10 a.m., with a night-session edition from 3 p.m.-6 p.m.

The second week of Australian Open Today will run from Monday, Jan. 21-Wednesday, Jan. 23, and generally include two back-to-back editions of the day and night sessions, from 6 a.m.-10 a.m. and 10 a.m.-2 p.m. An exception will occur on Monday, Jan. 21, with an encore presentation capping the afternoon from 2 p.m.-6 p.m.

Tennis Channel (www.tennischannel.com) 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 to the US Open, Wimbledon, Roland Garros (French Open), Australian Open, Emirates Airline US Open Series, ATP World Tour Masters 1000 events, top-tier WTA competitions, Davis Cup and Fed Cup by BNP Paribas, and Hyundai Hopman Cup. Tennis Channel is carried by nine of the top 10 video providers.

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TENNIS: ESPN’s 2013 Coverage Plans & Announcers for the Australian Open

Here is ESPN’s coverage plans and announcers for the 2013 Australian Open:

100+ Hours on ESPN2 HD, 600 on ESPN3; Finals Live January 26, 27

The 2013 tennis season begins with the Australian Open presented by Franklin Templeton Investments with more than 100 live hours on ESPN2 HD and 600+ on ESPN3. Each year, the marathon live action seen overnight in the U.S. from Melbourne has led to some of the most dramatic action in the sport in recent years. The action gets underway Sunday, Jan. 13, at 6:30 p.m. ET with a 12.5-hour telecast.

ESPN’s 29th consecutive Australian Open represents the company’s longest uninterrupted professional sports programming relationship. Daily action continues each night with afternoon reairs totaling more than 50 additional hours through the women’s championship Saturday, Jan 26, and the men’s championship Sunday, Jan. 27, both at 3 a.m. with reairs later each day at 9 a.m. and in prime time. The telecasts are also available through WatchESPN online at WatchESPN.com and on smartphones and tablets via the WatchESPN app.

Expanded digital coverage includes 600 hours on ESPN3, all live, with users choosing between ESPN2 or action on up to other seven courts with all matches available on-demand after completion. ESPN3’s coverage starts at 7 p.m. over the first 11 days of the tournament with the first ball each day of all TV court matches. Additionally, ESPN3 will offer live matches not airing on ESPN2, including the men’s, women’s and mixed doubles championships and the finals of the boys and girls divisions.

The tournament is part of ESPN’s ongoing Grand Slam alliance with Tennis Channel, which offers audiences a near round-the-clock tournament experience at tennis’ major events. ESPN is producing all Australian Open coverage for both networks, which will cross-promote each other with each channel utilizing its own commentators.

Setting the Stage

Victoria Azarenka won her first major event a year ago in Melbourne and finished the 2012 campaign as the top-ranked women’s player. Close on her heels is Maria Sharapova, who completed a career Grand Slam at last year’s French Open, and Serena Williams, who has an Open Era record five Australian Open victories among her 15 major titles, is looking to continue her winning ways of Wimbledon and the US Open in 2012.

Novak Djokovic will seek his third straight Australian Open championship – which would be an Open Era first among men – and enters the new season ranked No. 1 among the men. At No. 2 is Roger Federer and his 17 major titles, including four Down Under. Andy Murray at No. 3 will be attempting to win a second consecutive Grand Slam event after breaking through with his first at the US Open. With injury and illness keeping Rafael Nadal – who has been off the court since last summer’s Wimbledon – from competing, the door is open for the likes of David Ferrer, Tomas Berdych, Juan Martin Del Potro or Jo-Wilfried Tsonga to reach the semis, or beyond.

The Australian Open has a history of starting the tennis season off in a big way, with matches of historic lengths in the summer heat Down Under. Just in the last two years on ESPN2:

In the fourth round of the 2011 Australian Open, Francesca Schiavone defeats Svetlana Kuznetsova in the longest women’s match ever at a Grand Slam event – 6-4, 1-6, 16-14. The match lasted 4:44.
In tennis’ longest Grand Slam final ever, No. 1 Novak Djokovic outlasts No. 2 Rafael Nadal 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, 6-7 (5), 7-5 in 5 hours and 53 minutes at the 2012 Australian Open on ESPN2. It was Djokovic’s fourth title in the last five Majors.

TV: IN THE U.S. AND AROUND THE WORLD

The best tennis team in television returns for 2013, led by Cliff Drysdale – who has been with ESPN since its first tennis telecast in 1979. Darren Cahill, Chris Evert, Mary Joe Fernandez, Brad Gilbert, Patrick McEnroe and Pam Shriver return with hosts Chris Fowler, who also calls matches including the finals, and Chris McKendry. Tom Rinaldi will contribute features, news and interviews during event coverage and on SportsCenter.

ESPN Interactive TV, seen on DIRECTV and ESPN3, will again present the Australian Open in a six-screen “mix channel” format. For eight hours each evening during the first eight days of the tournament, viewers will be able to watch the ESPN2 feed or select from five other courts, all with commentary and customized graphics. Interactive data features include the tournament draw, up-to-date scores, daily order of play, and social media interaction. SportsCenter’s Steve Weissman will anchor the coverage, providing studio updates and news from around the tournament. Joining the announce team are former players Chanda Rubin, Jeff Tarango, Leif Shiras, Elise Burgin, Doug Adler, Nick Lester, and Christen Bartelt, along with play by play announcers Mark Donaldson and Brian Webber.

ESPN International will deliver to the pan-regional ESPN networks in Latin America (including the HD networks) over 100 hours of coverage, showcasing the biggest names in tennis and players of local relevance. ESPN+ will air over 30 hours of live complementary coverage in primetime throughout the early rounds.

ESPN Classic is airing more than 100 hours of memorable Australian Open matches from the past as well as plus tennis-themed editions of the Emmy and Peabody Award-winning SportsCentury series and other interview shows during January. Beginning Tuesday, Jan. 8, at 12 a.m. (Jan. 7 at 9 p.m. PT), ESPN Classic will air Australian Open programming virtually around the clock until Friday, Jan. 11 at 8 p.m. Later in the month, ESPN Classic will air a number of Australian Open matches upon a significant anniversary (5th, 10th, etc.), including Andy Roddick’s epic 21-19 fifth set vs. Younes El Aynaoui in the 2003 Australian Open quarterfinals (January 22, 9 a.m.), the Williams Sisters squaring off in the 2003 Women’s Final (January 24, 5 p.m.) and the 1993 Women’s Final between Monica Seles and Steffi Graf (January 29, 5 p.m.). For the full schedule.

DIGITAL MEDIA, AT HOME AND ABROAD

WatchESPN will deliver ESPN2’s live coverage of the Australian Open online at WatchESPN.com, on smartphones and tablets via the WatchESPN app and through ESPN on Xbox LIVE to Gold members. Additionally, ESPN3 will once again provide coverage of no fewer than eight live feeds from various courts – including the women’s and men’s semifinals and finals – nearly 600 hours. For the first 11 days (Sun., Jan. 13 – Wed., Jan. 23), coverage will commence at 7 p.m. (11 a.m. in Melbourne, when play begins) and continue for at least seven hours. The courts to be included are the “TV courts,” the ones most likely to have top matches: Rod Laver Arena, Hisense Arena, Margaret Court Arena, plus Courts 2, 3, 6 and 8. For the remainder of the tournament, ESPN3 will continue with select live coverage from ESPN2, including the women’s (Jan. 26) and men’s (Jan. 27) finals, plus exclusive coverage of select men’s, women’s and mixed doubles play and the boys’ and girls’ finals. Fans can also access ESPN3 feeds from AustralianOpen.com. Each window will be available for on-demand replay following completion. With ESPN3’s dynamic interface, fans will be able to fast-forward, rewind and pause action – during on-demand replay and live action.

ESPN Mobile TV, a 24/7 channel for wireless, will provide 113 hours of live and simulcast coverage with ESPN2′s programming schedule.

ESPN On Demand (TV & Mobile) Will offer highlights from past years tournaments as well as a highlight from this year’s men’s and women’s matches.

ESPN.com will once again feature Courtcast, a cutting-edge application presented by IBM, featuring official IBM tournament and real-time statistics, Hawk-Eye technology, a rolling Twitter feed, Cover It Live analysis and interactive poll questions. Slam Central, an aggregation of all the day’s top news, analysis, blogs and video, as well as a daily Digital Serve and At This Minute video segments with commentators in Melbourne discussing the results, will be a daily staple. News and analysis from contributors Bonnie D. Ford and Tennis.com writers will add to the depth of coverage. During the second week of play, the staff will interact with fans via live blogging.

espnW.com will begin coverage Tuesday, Jan. 8, with several previews, player profiles and features planned, along with on-going analysis of the tournament. Highlights:

Bonnie Ford will be in Melbourne providing commentary, features and more, including a major feature on Serena Williams, looking back at her tremendous summer of 2012 and wondering what’s to come this year.
A feature on Victoria Azarenka who played brilliantly in the first quarter of 2012 and ultimately ended the year No. 1. Is she a legitimate No. 1 or just the latest who briefly holds that ranking?
A look at how tennis hasn’t been immune to positive drug tests, but it seems to lack the sense of pervasive suspicion that exists within other sports.
What’s new since the off season? The Australian Open is often compared to the start of the school year – who is looking different, who is ready to make a move, what are the new coaching pairings, etc.
A complete analysis of the women’s draw will be posted January 10.
Rising American star Sloane Stephens will blog several times during the tournament.

In addition, Kate Fagan will have a feature story about a how in the last 20 years, a single indoor court in Moscow, the Spartak tennis facility, has produced more female tennis talent than the entirety of the United States. That court is run by coaches who teach a distinct brand of tennis, focusing on fundamentals. In fact, most young players aren’t allowed to compete against an opponent until they’ve spent a minimum of three years practicing. This story will explain how, and why, Spartak has managed to produce such an inordinate amount of tennis talent, while also examining the role of Russian culture in the equation. Just as basketball provides an escape route for young men growing up in the inner city, so too does tennis offer opportunity for the young women of Moscow.

ESPNtenis.com will have the following content: A daily webisode called “ESPiaNdo el Australian Open”; an “applet” featuring real-time, point-by-point scoring of all matches; live scores, results and brackets; columns, chats and blogs by TV commentators and other writers; polls; the “Ask ESPN” feature, prompting users to send their comments/questions via the website; video clips with highlights of daily action and analysis; TV scheduling information, and photo galleries.

ESPN International’s ESPN Play (Watch ESPN in Brazil) broadband service in Latin America will provide wall-to-wall coverage of the year’s first Grand Slam, airing over 500 hours of live tennis from every available televised court, including the men’s & women’s quarterfinals, semifinals and finals, all live. This streaming action will be available in over two million homes in 15 countries throughout Latin America/Caribbean (Argentina, Chile, Venezuela, Mexico, Costa Rica, Uruguay, Peru, Ecuador, Dominican Republic, Colombia and Panama, Aruba, Barbados, Curacao, Trinidad/Tobago).

ESPN – All Four Slams, All In One Place

Tennis has been part of ESPN since its first week on the air and provided many memorable moments, but it has never been as important as today, with the US Open joining the lineup in 2009, giving ESPN all four Grand Slam events, something no other U.S. network has ever done, let alone in one year. ESPN has presented the Australian Open since 1984, the French Open since 2002 (plus 1986 – 1993), and Wimbledon since 2003, with exclusivity for live television with all other rights extended in a 12-year agreement starting in 2012.

ESPN debuted September 7, 1979, and the first tennis telecast was exactly one week later, September 14, a Davis Cup tie, Argentina at U.S. from Memphis with Cliff Drysdale on the call and John McEnroe playing.

ESPN3, now in 83 million homes, carries every major global tennis event on the men’s and women’s circuit, including all four Grand Slam tournaments, every ATP World Tour 500 and ATP Masters 1000 event and WTA Premier events featuring all the top-seeded players. Also, ESPN Classic shows great matches from the past and the sport receives extensive coverage on SportsCenter, ESPNEWS, Spanish-language ESPN Deportes, ESPN Radio, ESPN.com and ESPN The Magazine. ESPN 3D aired its first tennis at Wimbledon in 2011.

AUSTRALIAN OPEN 2013 on ESPN2 HD

(For these charts, all times are Eastern, and each day “begins” at 6 a.m. ET.

Therefore, the listing Sun., Jan. 19 at 3:30 a.m. ET is actually very late on Sunday night.)

Date Time (ET) Event
Sun, Jan 13 6:30 p.m. – 7 a.m. Early round play LIVE
Mon, Jan 14 2 – 5 p.m. “ Same-day
9 p.m. – 7 a.m. “ LIVE
Tue, Jan 15 2 – 5 p.m. “ Same-day
9 p.m. – 7 a.m. “ LIVE
Wed, Jan 16 2 – 5 p.m. “ Same-day
11 p.m. – 7 a.m. “ LIVE
Thur, Jan 17 2 – 5 p.m. “ Same-day
11 p.m. – 7 a.m. “ LIVE
Fri, Jan 18 2 – 5 p.m. “ Same-day
9 p.m. – 7 a.m. “ LIVE
Sat, Jan 19 7 – 9:55 a.m. “ Same-day
9 p.m. – 2 a.m. Round of 16 LIVE
3 – 7 a.m. “ LIVE
Sun, Jan 20 9 p.m. – 2 a.m. “ LIVE
3:30 – 6 a.m. “ LIVE
Mon, Jan 21 9 p.m. – 2 a.m. Quarterfinals LIVE
3:30 – 6 a.m. “ LIVE
Tue, Jan 22 2 – 5 p.m. “ Same-day
9 p.m. – 2 a.m. “ LIVE
3:30 – 6 a.m. “ LIVE
Wed, Jan 23 2 – 5 p.m. “ Same-day
9:30 p.m. – 2 a.m. Women’s Semifinals LIVE
3:30 – 6 a.m. Men’s Semifinal #1 LIVE
Thurs, Jan 24 Noon – 4 p.m. Men’s Semifinal #1 reair
3:30 – 6 a.m. Men’s Semifinal #2 LIVE
Fri, Jan 25 Noon – 4 p.m. Men’s Semifinal #2 reair
3 – 5:30 a.m. Women’s Championship LIVE
Sat, Jan. 26 9 – 11 a.m. Women’s Championship reair
10 p.m. – MID Women’s Championship reair
3 – 6:30 a.m. Men’s Championship LIVE
Sun, Jan 27 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. Men’s Championship reair
7:30 p.m. – 12:30 a.m. Men’s Championship reair

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RYDER CUP: SiriusXM Radio’s 2012 Coverage Plans and Announcers

Here is SiriusXM Radio’s 2012 Ryder Cup coverage plans and announcers:

2012 Ryder Cup to Air Live on SiriusXM
Team USA vs. Team Europe September 28-30
SiriusXM provides 30 hours of live on-course play-by-play from Medinah Country Club in Illinois

NEW YORK, Sept. 25, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — Sirius XM Radio (NASDAQ: SIRI) today announced its live coverage of the 2012 Ryder Cup, golf’s biennial event that pits Team USA vs. Team Europe.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20101014/NY82093LOGO )

Live hole-by-hole coverage of each day’s matches will air September 28-30 from Medinah Country Club in Illinois on SiriusXM PGA TOUR Radio, channel 93 on XM and channel 208 on Sirius Premier. The live broadcasts are also available to subscribers on the SiriusXM Internet Radio App and online at SiriusXM.com.

SiriusXM’s on-course play-by-play coverage will air Friday, September 28, and Saturday, September 29, from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm/conclusion ET and Sunday, September 30, from 12:00 to 6:00 pm/conclusion ET. Earl Forcey and Matt Adams will host the broadcast alongside analyst John Maginnes. Mark Carnevale, Dennis Paulson, Fred Albers and Doug Bell will serve as roving commentators, providing live reports from around the course.

The Ryder Cup is one of golf’s most celebrated and anticipated events, showcasing the 12 best players from the United States facing off in match play against the 12 best players from Europe. Led this year by captains Davis Love III on the U.S. side and Jose Maria Olazabal on the European side, the teams will compete in foursome and four-ball matches on Friday and Saturday, and 12 head-to-head singles matches on Sunday.

Team Europe will be defending the Ryder Cup they won two years ago at Celtic Manor Resort in Wales. This year’s European team features World #1 and 2012 PGA Champion Rory McIlroy, Luke Donald, Justin Rose, Paul Lawrie, Graeme McDowell, Francesco Molinari, Lee Westwood, Sergio Garcia, Peter Hanson, Martin Kaymer, Ian Poulter and Nicolas Colsaerts.

Team USA will be looking to reclaim the Ryder Cup they last won in 2008. Representing the United States on this year’s team are Tiger Woods, 2012 Masters Champion Bubba Watson, 2012 U.S. Open Champion Webb Simpson, Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Jason Dufner, Keegan Bradley, Zach Johnson, Matt Kuchar, Jim Furyk, Brandt Snedeker and Steve Stricker.

Throughout the week leading up to the event, SiriusXM listeners can tune in to SiriusXM PGA TOUR Radio for daily golf talk and analysis.

On Thursday, Matt Adams will host the Ryder Cup Opening Ceremonies Show live from Medinah Country Club (4:00-6:00 pm ET), which will feature live coverage of the opening ceremonies from the 10th hole, interviews with special guests and in-depth analysis of the three-day competition.

During the week, listeners can also tune in for live golf talk on Fairways of Life with Matt Adams (weekdays, 7:00-9:00 am ET), Teed Off with Brian Katrek (weekdays, 9:00-11:00 am ET) and Talk of the TOUR (weekdays, 11:00 am-12:00 pm ET). Former PGA TOUR pro John Maginnes hosts his show, Maginnes on Tap, weeknights (5:00-7:00 pm ET).

For more info, visit http://www.siriusxm.com/siriusxmpgatourradio. Follow the channel on Twitter @SiriusXMPGATOUR.

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RYDER CUP: RyderCup.com’s Coverage Plans and Announcers

Here’s all the information you need to know about RyderCup.com and the Ryder Cup app including coverage plans and announcers for the 2012 Ryder Cup:

RyderCup.com to serve as online, mobile and social destination for 2012 Ryder Cup

Rydercup.com, managed by Turner Sports as part of PGA.com, will provide extensive online, mobile and social coverage during the 2012 Ryder Cup, the world’s premier international team golf event. From Friday, Sept. 28 to Sunday, Sept. 30, fans will have complete access to live streaming video, leaderboard updates, live radio, video alerts, social interaction and much more via the new Rydercup.com site, the Ryder Cup App for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, and the mobile website.

The new Rydercup.com offers an enhanced user experience which brings extensive editorial coverage, video, radio and photo content to the forefront. With increased back-end technology and a more interactive design, users can view the event through the eyes of their team while also being able to share information such as stats, video clips and photos.

The Webby Award-winning Ryder Cup LIVE video via Rydercup.com, and Ryder Cup apps will offer live streaming video from Medinah (Ill.) Country Club. Ryder Cup LIVE video is the only online destination for three- day live coverage of the Ryder Cup. Ryder Cup LIVE video also will include integrated content such as breaking news updates, a real-time leaderboard, “Predict It” – an interactive gaming experience – and social media integration. Additionally, for the first time, Ryder Cup LIVE video will provide coverage of the opening and closing ceremonies. The Ryder Cup LIVE video announce team includes host Brian Katrek, analysts Michael Breed, Billy Kratzert and TNT’s Craig Sager as course reporter.

The Universal Ryder Cup App is available worldwide for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. Throughout the event, the app will provide live video (select markets), live scoring, breaking news updates and video alerts. The Ryder Cup app is the first golf app available for iOS 6 and the new iPhone 5. Additionally, users worldwide can listen to match updates and interviews through Ryder Cup Radio.

On the social front, Rydercup.com will offer a “Tweet Battle” between Team U.S.A. and Team Europe. A “Social Scoreboard,” online and at the course, will show which team is winning the global social conversation by counting the number of fans using the respective hashtags – #RyderCupUSA or #RyderCupEurope. Fans also can engage throughout the Ryder Cup competition across other social platforms including Facebook, GetGlue, Instagram, Viddy, Pinterest and Google+.

“For the 2012 Ryder Cup, fans will be invited to enjoy an immersive and interactive digital experience for the most prestigious international team event in golf,” said Gary Treater, Turner Sports’ senior director of business operations for PGA.com. “We will be the destination for fans worldwide – whether online or across mobile and social platforms – to be informed, entertained and engaged surrounding all things Ryder Cup.”

Additional Ryder Cup content includes:

Online
• Live Match Updates – PGA.com writers will provide live updates, share photos and video links through this interactive feature throughout the event.
• Video Highlight Hub – An enhanced video experience will allow fans to search by player, match, hole or memorable moment from the 2012 Ryder Cup.
• Predict It – While watching Ryder Cup LIVE video, fans have an opportunity to predict the outcome of situations on the course.

Mobile
• iPad: For the first time, PGA.com is bringing its Ryder Cup app to iPad. The iPad viewing experience will include live video, live radio, video highlights, news articles, photo galleries, team details and more.
• iPhone & iPod touch: This year’s Ryder Cup App provides specific mobile content and features to enhance the on-site and on-the-go fan experience. Content includes: live video, live radio, text and video alerts, daily video highlights, latest stories and breaking news, team info and social feeds.
• Mobile Website – In addition to Ryder Cup apps, the enhanced Rydercup.com mobile website will offer live video, on-demand highlights, live scoring and Ryder Cup radio available to smartphone users.

Social
• 13th Man – Off the course, the 13th Man is the social destination for the 39th Ryder Cup. This social hub will combine live action updates of the event and integration with Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
• Social Scoreboard/Tweet Battle – Powered by Mass Relevance, the real-time “Social Scoreboard” captures which teams and players are most popular in the social sphere. Tweet Battle, also powered by Mass Relevance, allows fans to engage in a friendly competition for their team.
• #RyderCup – Fans can send a tweet using #RyderCup to join the conversation and support their favorite player.

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RYDER CUP: Golf Channel & NBC’s Coverage and Announcer Plans

Here’s Golf Channel and NBC’s announcers and coverage plans for the 2012 Ryder Cup:

ORLANDO, Fla. / NEW YORK -Sept. 20, 2012 – NBC Sports Group will present unprecedented, comprehensive Ryder Cup news coverage, tournament action, original themed programming and online digital coverage of the 39th Ryder Cup – with more than 60 hours in total of on-air content – Sept. 24-30. The 39th edition of the biennial golf competition between the world’s top professional golfers representing the United States and Europe takes place Sept. 28-30 at Medinah Country Club in Medinah, Ill.

Golf Channel on NBC will present 16 hours of live tournament coverage of the final two days of the Ryder Cup (Sept. 29-30). Complementing NBC’s live coverage, Golf Channel will provide nearly 50 hours of wraparound programming, featuring news, talk and instruction, headlined by its franchise show, Live From the Ryder Cup. Comcast SportsNet Chicago will provide robust news coverage with a regional twist for its viewers throughout the week, and NBCSports.com and GolfChannel.com are teaming up to provide the most comprehensive digital coverage of the Ryder Cup in their respective histories.

TOURNAMENT BROADCAST TEAM: Dan Hicks and Johnny Miller – together for their 13th season – will anchor NBC’s weekend coverage of the Ryder Cup (Sept. 29-30), joined by Gary Koch and Peter Jacobsen in tower positions; Roger Maltbie, Dottie Pepper and Mark Rolfing reporting from the golf course; and essayist Jimmy Roberts and Steve Sands conducting interviews. Golf World senior writer Tim Rosaforte will provide insider news and notes.

RYDER CUP AIRTIMES ON NBC (all times ET):

Sept. 29 Saturday Day Two 9 a.m.-7 p.m.
Sept. 30 Sunday Day Three Noon-6 p.m.

50 HOURS OF ON-SITE NEWS COVERAGE: Golf Channel has planned nearly 50 hours of live, wraparound news coverage of the Ryder Cup throughout the week, featuring highlights, inside analysis, player interviews and news conferences, special guest appearances and compelling features. Headlined by its franchise show – Live From the Ryder Cup – coverage begins Monday and concludes Sunday with a two-hour recap show. Live From the Ryder Cup will originate from two sets at Medinah Country Club – the main stage overlooking the clubhouse and a roundtable stage behind the clubhouse adjacent to the driving ranges. Golf Channel also will host live reports from the European and U.S. Team driving ranges throughout the week. Live From coverage on Tuesday and Wednesday will include European and U.S. Team news conferences in the afternoon, followed by shows in primetime each evening. Live From also will air the Opening Ceremony live from Medinah on Thursday from 5-6 p.m. ET, and the show will precede and follow tournament play Friday-Sunday. Morning Drive, the network’s weekday morning show, will expand weekday coverage next week, with additional live hours on Sunday and will feature daily special guests from Medinah Country Club. Additionally, The Golf Fix (Monday, 7 p.m. ET) and The Grey Goose 19th Hole (Thursday, 2 p.m. ET.) also will air live from Medinah Country Club.

NEWS CONFERENCES: Live From the Ryder Cup news conference shows from Medinah Country Club will air Tuesday from 1-7 p.m. ET and Wednesday, 1-5 p.m. ET.

LIVE FROM THE RYDER CUP SCHEDULED FEATURES FOR THE WEEK:
- Nobilo Goes Tee to Green at Medinah Country Club – Frank Nobilo scouted the Medinah Country Club layout and will host short features that provide details about the course setup for the Ryder Cup, including insight into U.S. Captain Davis Love III’s influence on the setup.
- U.S. and European Team Captains Go One-on-One – U.S. and European Team Captains Davis Love III and Jose Maria Olazabal sit down with Golf Channel to discuss their respective roles leading up to this week’s Ryder Cup.
- Michael Jordan Talks Ryder Cup and Medinah – Basketball Hall-of-Famer Michael Jordan sits down with Golf Channel to discuss the Ryder Cup coming to Chicago and Medinah Country Club, his involvement with this year’s U.S. team and the pressure of competing in the Ryder Cup.
- Sergio Garcia One-on-One with Steve Sands – Steve Sands sits down with European Ryder Cup team member Sergio Garcia. Garcia discusses spirit for the Ryder Cup, reflecting on his famous shot at the 16th hole in the 1999 PGA Championship and Seve Ballesteros’ passion for the Ryder Cup.
- Graeme McDowell One-on-One Interview with Sands – Steve Sands sits down with European Ryder Cup team member Graeme McDowell. McDowell relfects on winning the 2010 Ryder Cup and his relationship with Rory McIlroy.

LIVE FROM THE RYDER CUP BROADCAST TEAM: Scottish golfer and former European Ryder Cup Player and Captain Colin Montgomerie returns to Golf Channel as a guest analyst for the network’s Live From the Ryder Cup telecasts Friday-Sunday following live tournament coverage. Ryder Cup veterans and Golf Channel analysts Nick Faldo and David Feherty also will contribute to Golf Channel’s Ryder Cup news coverage throughout the week, joining the network’s Live From broadcast team that includes Rich Lerner, Kelly Tilghman, Ryan Burr, Frank Nobilo, Brandel Chamblee, Charlie Rymer, Rex Hoggard, John Feinstein, Tim Rosaforte, Ken Schofield, Damon Hack and Alex Miceli. Steve Sands will be Golf Channel’s European Tour reporter throughout the week, with Todd Lewis reporting on the U.S. Team. Members of NBC’s on-air team also will contribute throughout the week, including Dottie Pepper, Jimmy Roberts, Mark Rolfing and Roger Maltbie.

RYDER CUP VETERANS JOHN COOK AND LARRY NELSON CO-HOST MORNING DRIVE – Morning Drive will keep viewers up-to-date throughout the week on all of the happenings and the latest news from the Ryder Cup with daily interviews with Golf Channel expert analysts, reporters and contributors from on-site at Medinah Country Club. 1993 Ryder Cup team member John Cook will guest co-host Morning Drive throughout the week, and three-time Ryder Cup team member Larry Nelson will guest host Wednesday and Thursday. Morning Drive will air a two-part interview with U.S. Team Captain Davis Love III and Gary Williams Monday and Tuesday. Morning Drive’s coverage will expand to four hours on Thursday (7-11 a.m. ET) and also features a two-hour show on Sunday (7-9 a.m. ET) leading into Live From the Ryder Cup.

MICHAEL PHELPS FEATURED GUEST ON FEHERTY LIVE – Funnyman David Feherty’s off-beat humor and unique interview style will be on full display in this live variation of his popular Feherty series on Golf Channel. Feherty will perform in front of a live audience from the Tivoli Theater in Downers Grove, Ill., nearby to Medinah Country Club where the Ryder Cup will be contested. Feherty Live will air on Sept. 26 at 9 p.m. ET, and feature interviews with Michael Phelps, decorated Olympian and the newest student on Golf Channel’s The Haney Project, as well as former Ryder Cup Captains Paul Azinger, Sam Torrance and Lanny Wadkins.

WAR BY THE SHORE – The epic competition between the U.S.A. and Europe on Kiawah Island, S.C., in 1991 that forever changed golf’s Ryder Cup from a friendly exhibition to a high-stakes rivalry is captured in War by the Shore, a 60-minute film by 51-time Emmy Award-winning producer and former president of HBO Sports, Ross Greenburg. War By The Shore premieres Tuesday, Sept. 25 at 9 p.m. ET. This special goes inside the ropes on those three historic days in September with in-depth and insightful interviews with many of the competing players and the captains who led their teams during one of the most memorable Ryder Cups ever played. Contested by the best golfers on either side of the Atlantic on Kiawah’s picturesque and brutal Ocean Course layout, the 1991 Ryder Cup was a spectacle for tournament patrons and television viewers, alike. All were witnesses to a tense, back and forth – not all together civil – affair, filled with miraculous shots and epic collapses.

COMCAST SPORTSNET CHICAGO

Comcast SportsNet Chicago will provide extensive regional coverage of the 39th Ryder Cup beginning Tuesday, Sept. 25.

Comcast SportsNet Chicago (CSN Chicago) will provide comprehensive coverage of the 2012 Ryder Cup on its nightly sports news program, SportsNet Central. Titling segments as “SportsNet Central at the Ryder Cup,” CSN Chicago will air numerous feature stories produced by Golf Channel, including:

- Michael Jordan 1-on-1: Jordan talks about his love of golf, the Ryder Cup, his love for Chicago and Chicago as a sports town. Golf Channel’s Mark Rolfing conducts the interview. (Airdate: Tuesday September 25th and Thursday September 27th).
- David Feherty 1-on-1: CSN Chicago’s Pat Boyle goes 1-on-1 with the former PGA Tour member/current Golf Channel analyst.
- Profile of Medinah Country Club and the history of the Ryder Cup: Viewers will be provided with an in-depth, hole-by-hole analysis of the course, along with history of the tournament filled with highlights.

SportsNet Central at the Ryder Cup also will have complete highlights and interviews from The Ryder Cup Captains & Celebrity Scramble Golf Event (Tue, Sept. 25) featuring numerous celebrity participants, including Bill Murray, Justin Timberlake, Michael Phelps and George Lopez.

In addition, CSN Chicago’s nightly sports roundtable talk show, Chicago Tribune Live, will have live interviews featuring Golf Channel analysts throughout the week nightly at 5:30 p.m. CT. Thursday-Sunday, SportsNet Central will provide live reports nightly at 6:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. CT, featuring a comprehensive breakdown of the day’s key moments, including highlights, interviews and detailed analysis. The reports will be hosted by Pat Boyle and Golf Channel analysts.

CSNChicago.com also will host tournament highlights and additional coverage throughout the week.

WALL-TO-WALL DIGITAL COVERAGE: NBCSports.com and GolfChannel.com will combine efforts to provide users with the most comprehensive digital coverage in Ryder Cup history, featuring expanded editorial content and interactive capabilities. Fans also can access Ryder Cup content on the go with the GolfChannel.com mobile application.

Ryder Cup Live Streaming
NBCSports.com will live stream NBC’s weekend tournament coverage of the Ryder Cup (Saturday, 9 a.m.-7 p.m. ET; Sunday, Noon-6 p.m. ET). GolfChannel.com users also will be able to link to the NBCSports.com live streaming link Saturday and Sunday.

Live Blogs & Chats
John Hawkins and Jason Sobel will host live chats on GolfChannel.com Friday-Sunday to keep fans up to date as the action unfolds. Live chats will take place on Friday from 8 a.m.-7:30 p.m. ET, and Saturday from 9 a.m.-7 p.m. ET and Sunday from Noon-7 p.m. ET

Editorial Coverage
Jay Coffin, Damon Hack, John Hawkins, Rex Hoggard, Ryan Lavner, Randall Mell and Jason Sobel will contribute daily to GolfChannel.com’s GolfTalk Central blog, along with daily columns, news articles, features and breaking news.

Exclusive Online Video Content on GolfChannel.com:
- Morning and evening updates from Golf Channel’s Live From the Ryder Cup team will be available each day.
- John Hawkins will provide video recaps from Friday through Sunday.
- The “Tee to Green” features hosted by Frank Nobilo for Live From the Ryder Cup on Golf Channel also will be available on demand on GolfChannel.com.

Social Media
Golf Channel will engage fans with content via Facebook and Twitter, and also will integrate social media into GolfChannel.com by grouping golf-relevant Twitter handles, including those of Golf Channel personalities, on the site for viewing.

NBC Sports Group Ryder Cup Coverage (all times ET)

Monday, Sept. 24

Morning Drive

Golf Channel

7-9 a.m.

Live From the Ryder Cup

Golf Channel

6-7 p.m.

The Golf Fix

Golf Channel

7-8 p.m.

Tuesday, Sept. 25

Morning Drive

Golf Channel

7-9 a.m.

Live From the Ryder Cup

Golf Channel

1-7 p.m. (News Conferences)

Live From the Ryder Cup

Golf Channel

7-9 p.m.

War by the Shore

Golf Channel

9-10 p.m.

Wednesday, Sept. 26

Morning Drive

Golf Channel

7-10 a.m.

Live From the Ryder Cup

Golf Channel

1-5 p.m.

Live From the Ryder Cup

Golf Channel

7-9 p.m.

Feherty Live

Golf Channel

9-10 p.m.

Thursday, Sept. 27

Morning Drive

Golf Channel

7-11 a.m.

Grey Goose 19th Hole

Golf Channel

2-3 p.m.

Ryder Cup Opening Ceremony

Golf Channel

5-6 p.m.

Live From the Ryder Cup

Golf Channel

6-8 p.m.

Friday, Sept. 28

Live From the Ryder Cup

Golf Channel

7-8 a.m.

Ryder Cup Day 1

ESPN

8 a.m.-7:30 p.m.

Live From the Ryder Cup

Golf Channel

7:30-9:30 p.m.

Saturday, Sept. 29

Live From the Ryder Cup

Golf Channel

7-9 a.m.

Ryder Cup Day 2

NBC

9 a.m.-7 p.m.

Live From the Ryder Cup

Golf Channel

7-9 p.m.

Sunday, Sept. 30

Morning Drive

Golf Channel

7-9 a.m.

Live From the Ryder Cup

Golf Channel

9 a.m.-Noon

Ryder Cup Day 3

NBC

Noon-6 p.m.

Live From the Ryder Cup

Golf Channel

6-9 p.m.

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RYDER CUP: ESPN’s 2012 Coverage and Announcers Plans

Here’s ESPN’s announcers and coverage plan for the 2012 Ryder Cup:

ESPN will air 11.5 hours of live play from of the opening matches of the 39th Ryder Cup on Friday, Sept. 28, at Medinah Country Club in suburban Chicago. The telecast begins at 8 a.m. ET.

Two 12-man teams of the best professional golfers representing the United States and Europe will square off in the every-other-year match play competition. The European team has won four of the five Ryder Cups held since the turn of the century, including a victory in the most recent event held in Wales in 2010. The American team won in 2008, the last time the event was played in the U.S.

Among the members of the American team are Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, 2012 Masters champion Bubba Watson and 2012 U.S. Open champion Webb Simpson, while World No. 1 Rory McIlroy heads the European team along with Luke Donald, Sergio Garcia and Lee Westwood.

Mike Tirico will anchor ESPN’s Ryder Cup telecast, joined for analysis by 2008 Ryder Cup winning captain Paul Azinger. Two-time U.S. Open champions Andy North (on-course reporter) and Curtis Strange (hole announcer) also will contribute to ESPN’s coverage along with Scott Van Pelt (hole announcer) and Bill Kratzert (on-course reporter). ESPN the Magazine and ESPN.com columnist Rick Reilly will present essays.

Van Pelt, North and Reilly also will appear on SportsCenter from the Ryder Cup.

Among ESPN’s digital platforms, ESPN.com will surround the Ryder Cup competition with a full week of coverage, highlights and analysis. Senior golf writers Bob Harig and Farrell Evans, senior national columnist Gene Wojciechowski and Reilly will be writing news, features and columns around each day of play, while news items from earlier in the week will be covered with daily blog postings.

ESPN.com’s “CoverItLive” live chat with Michael Collins will take place during each day of play, while Harig, Evans and Collins also will conduct live chats from Medinah starting on Monday afternoon.

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TENNIS: CBS Sports’ Coverage Plans and Announcers for the 2012 U.S. Open

Here is CBS Sports’ coverage plans for the 2012 U.S. Open:

CBS Sports presents the U.S. OPEN TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS, tennis’ final major of the year and the only one played in the United States, for the 45th consecutive year. Coverage begins on Saturday, Sept. 1 (12:00 NOON–6:00 PM, ET) with men’s and women’s third-round action and concludes with the men’s singles championship on Sunday, Sept. 9 (4:00 PM, ET). CBS Sports broadcasts over 36 hours of the 2012 U.S. Open live from the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, N.Y. (#USOpen)

Newly named lead play-by-play announcer Bill Macatee is joined by expert analysts Mary Carillo and John McEnroe in the booth. Jim Courier returns for his fourth year as analyst and calls the action alongside Ian Eagle. Mary Joe Fernandez serves as reporter. Chris Wragge joins this year serving as a contributor.

CBS Sports will provide live comprehensive coverage during both weekends of the event, Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 3 (11:00 AM-6:00 PM, ET) and Friday, Sept. 7 (12:30-6:00 PM, ET). The 2012 women’s championship highlights the Network’s “Super Saturday” coverage live in prime time on Saturday, Sept. 8 (8:00-10:00 PM, ET).

CBS Sports’ schedule of live U.S. Open Tennis action as follows:

Saturday, Sept. 1 12:00 NOON-6:00 PM, ET (men’s and women’s third round singles)

Sunday, Sept. 2 11:00 AM-6:00 PM, ET (men’s third round/women’s fourth round)

Monday, Sept. 3 11:00 AM-6:00 PM, ET (men’s/women’s fourth round singles)

Friday, Sept. 7 12:30-6:00 PM, ET (men’s doubles final/women’s semi-finals)

Saturday, Sept. 8 12:00 NOON-6:00 PM ET (men’s semi-finals)

8:00-10:00 PM, ET (women’s singles championship)

Sunday, Sept. 9 4:00-7:00 PM, ET (men’s singles championship)

For the first time, CBS Sports Network features U.S. Open coverage with three days of live Labor Day weekend outer-court action showcasing the most compelling third and fourth-round matches not shown during CBS Sports’ live simultaneous broadcast (11:00 AM-6:00 PM, ET). The Network also presents TODAY AT THE US OPEN (10:00-11:00 AM, ET), a live studio show from the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, N.Y.

Dave Ryan anchors coverage from the Mojito Set with analyst Justin Gimelstob. Sam Gore teams with analyst Chanda Rubin, while Andrew Catalon pairs with analyst Taylor Dent. Danielle Santoro serves as reporter.

Additionally, the entire slate of U.S. Open play on CBS Sports, including both the men’s and women’s singles championships, will be streamed live on CBSSports.com. For the matches played during the opening weekend (Sept. 1, 2, 3), CBSSports.com will allow users to choose between any of the action played on Arthur Ashe Stadium, Louis Armstrong Stadium or the Grandstand. Users also can visit CBSSports.com to watch daily news and match previews and highlights, as well as get highlights available on CBS Sports Mobile apps on Android devices and iPhone.

Working his 32nd U.S. Open, Bob Mansbach serves as coordinating producer of CBS Sports’ live coverage of tennis’ final major of the year. Mansbach and David Winner produce, and lead director Bob Fishman and Jim Cornell direct.

Harold Bryant is Executive Producer and Vice President, Production, CBS Sports.

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