WHITE PLAINS, August 20, 2018 (Press Release)
The USTA today announced that for the first time, broadcast coverage will be featured from all tournament courts – up to sixteen. All men’s and women’s singles and doubles matches, as well as mixed doubles matches, during the 2018 US Open are scheduled to be produced from Monday, August 27, through Sunday, September 9. In addition, coverage of a variety of the activities and activations during US Open Fan Week will be offered, including the US Open Qualifying Tournament, from Tuesday, August 21, through Friday, August 24.
For the 10th consecutive year and for the fourth year as exclusive domestic media partner, ESPN will provide comprehensive live coverage of the US Open. The ESPN family of networks will deliver first-ball-to-last-ball coverage throughout the tournament, with nearly 140 hours on TV on ESPN and ESPN2. Fans and viewers will also have the opportunity to watch more than 1,300 hours of coverage from all tournament courts streaming live across ESPN3 and ESPN+ on the ESPN App. In addition, ESPN+ will distribute this year’s qualifying competition and will stream coverage from five courts each day.
In the U.S., Tennis Channel will also enhance its coverage of the US Open. New this year, the network will feature live coverage of this year’s Qualifying Tournament and US Open Fan Week. In addition, as in previous years, Tennis Channel will deliver daily preview and highlight shows, as well as extensive match encore programming.
The 2018 US Open will also be broadcast by its international broadcast media partners in more than 200 countries and territories around the world. Eurosport is the exclusive broadcast partner of the US Open in continental Europe, reaching 52 countries. WOWOW has partnered with the US Open since 1992 and holds the exclusive US Open television rights in Japan. Other international partners include Prime in the United Kingdom and Ireland; CCTV and Tencent in China; Star India in the Indian subcontinent; beIN Sports in the Middle East and North Africa; ESPN International in Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, South America and Oceania; Fox Sport in Asia; TSN and RDS in Canada; and SuperSport in Sub-Saharan Africa. Additionally, international sublicensees include SBS in Australia; TV Globo in Brazil; SRG SSR in Switzerland and ORF in Austria.
“We continually challenge ourselves to bring the excitement of the US Open to more people in more ways,” said Lew Sherr, Chief Revenue Officer, USTA. “We are gratified that our great global partners will achieve this in our 50th Anniversary year.”
In addition to US Open tennis action, ABC will broadcast Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day powered by Net Generation on Sunday, August 26 at 2 p.m. ET. Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day is an annual tennis and music festival that honors the legacy of Arthur Ashe.
The US Open will not only expand its broadcast coverage in 2018 to all tournament courts, but will also feature Electronic Line Calling on all tournament courts, as well. All Men’s and Women’s Singles, Doubles and Mixed Doubles events will be scheduled to feature electronic line calling technology. Having the technology available on all tournament courts provides a level of consistency and fairness throughout the tournament. In 2006, the US Open became the first Grand Slam event to use electronic line calling during play, featuring video replay in Arthur Ashe Stadium, and now the US Open will be the first Grand Slam to utilize electronic line calling on all match courts.
This year marks the 50th Anniversary of the US Open, and throughout Fan Week and the Main Draw of the tournament, special recognitions and ceremonies will take place to honor the tradition and history of the event, as well as celebrate its great champions. In addition, the 2018 US Open marks the completion of the Strategic Transformation of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center with the opening of the new 14,000-seat Louis Armstrong Stadium. In all, the five-year project, which revamped more than 90 percent of the facility, will have incorporated the installation of a retractable roof over Arthur Ashe Stadium, the construction of a new Louis Armstrong Stadium (also with a retractable roof), a new Grandstand, new West Stadium and practice courts, as well as a completely renovated and redesigned southern campus.
