GRAND SLAM TENNIS MAKES ITS RETURN TO EUROSPORT

Grand Slam tennis returns to Eurosport this weekend with the much-anticipated US Open*. Eurosport’s production will also exclusively unveil the Eurosport Cube, an interactive mixed-reality studio using augmented reality (AR) and enhanced graphics, to transport fans into the heart of the action from New York and offer the most detailed and insightful analysis of the action.

Barbara Schett will anchor Eurosport’s coverage from the Eurosport Cube in London throughout the two weeks of the tournament with seven-time Grand Slam winner Mats Wilander providing expert analysis using the new technology at his disposal to give fans a whole new perspective on how they think about the sport.

Boris Becker and Justine Henin – with 13 Grand Slam singles titles between them across their illustrious careers – will also be beamed into the Eurosport Cube studio in London directly from their locations in Munich and Paris respectively to give their own expert perspective from the best of the men’s and women’s matches throughout the fortnight.

Andrew Georgiou, President, Eurosport and Global Sports Rights & Sports Marketing Solutions said: “The award-winning Eurosport Cube was the hit of our first Winter Olympic Games, garnering praise from sports fans and lauded by the industry for redefining the Olympics viewing experience. We’ve worked hard to take it to the next level and integrate new technologies with a plan to unveil it at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020.

“With the Games re-scheduled but the experience ready to go, there’s no better arena than Grand Slam tennis to see the return of the Eurosport Cube. We don’t plan to unveil all the bells and whistles straight away instead keeping some things up our sleeves for next summer.

"The Eurosport Cube forms part of our plans to enhance our storytelling throughout the tournament which centres around the opportunity for fans to watch all courts, live and on-demand and however they choose to view. The Cube will transform how fans connect with tennis and the players, bringing to life technical nuances and analysing play like never before. With Roland-Garros from Paris also coming up next month, we are entering one of the most exciting periods for tennis fans in Europe who never have to miss a shot with Eurosport.”

Alex Corretja and Conchita Martinez will offer their own insights to fans watching Eurosport in Spain, while viewers will be able to enjoy the musings of Henri Leconte in France. Thomas Enqvist and Jonas Bjorkman will provide analysis for Eurosport in Sweden and 2015 US Open finalist Roberta Vinci will be an integral part of Eurosport’s coverage in Italy.

Event-based commentary makes its debut
With the world’s best players yearning for a return to the court and fans desperate to watch some of the sport’s biggest stars go toe-to-toe once again after an enforced break, the US Open is promising to be the one of the most-eagerly anticipated sports events in years.

300 hours of live coverage from New York kicks off on the afternoon of Monday 31 August (CEST) and for the first-time, Eurosport will take advantage of event-based commentary, meaning each match from at least two of the main show courts will be commentated in full for fans watching on Premium and dplay (all three show courts in Germany and Spain). Up to 14 courts will also have the option of live commentary, with markets having the choice to add commentators for local players that are not playing on the already-commentated main courts – meaning fans watching on Eurosport Premium and dplay will have the best possible viewing experience when cheering on their local stars.

Refreshed formats
In addition to the action on the court, Eurosport will ensure every angle is covered across linear and the Eurosport App. A one-off edition of Eurosport’s Tennis Legends podcast, hosted by Mats Wilander, will see luminaries of the sport join the seven-time Grand Slam winner to dissect the major talking points facing the game today. Fans unable to catch the action as it happens can enjoy key moments, on any device they desire, through a brand new daily Highlights Factory format.

Eurosport will continue to tell local stories to local audiences through local programming such as Matchball Becker (Eurosport Germany) fronted by Boris Becker, ESP Tennis Club (Eurosport France), Pasando Bolas (Eurosport Spain). Eurosport will also have local coverage windows in Germany, Netherlands, Russia, Romania, Poland, Italy and Spain. Highlighting its commitment to telling local stories, in the lead-up to, and during, the US Open, Eurosport will produce additional digital shows in Italy, Denmark and Romania that will focus on the fortunes of local players taking part in the tournament.

Eurosport tennis expert and six-time Grand Slam champion Boris Becker said: “Eurosport is synonymous with the US Open in Europe, having screened every single edition since my playing days. While we are all naturally disappointed to not be in New York this year, I am delighted to be a part of the Eurosport team covering the tournament here in Europe.

“We will look to be innovative and we’ll use our expertise to ensure fans across the continent are well-informed and won’t miss a beat throughout the two weeks. I, for one, am looking forward to the return of Grand Slam tennis.”

Eurosport’s on-air promotional campaign for the US Open will be part of its broader The Wait Is Over promotional campaign celebrating live sport’s return. Going live from 25 August, US Open is Back will continue Eurosport’s rich history of telling the most exciting tennis stories, reconnecting passionate fans across Europe with the sport they love and engaging more viewers than ever before through unrivalled linear coverage and via its direct-to-consumer platforms, providing the greatest choice for consumers. 

*The US Open from Flushing Meadows in New York will be screened on Eurosport across Europe in over 50 countries and territories, except the United Kingdom and Ireland