U.S. Open Going Cable-Only, Moves To ESPN

Roger-Federer-AAfter decades on the network that saw stars from Ashe to Navratilova to Federer win, the U.S. Open is leaving CBS. As part of an 11-year deal effective in 2015, ESPN will become the exclusive TV outlet for the tournament.

The deal gives ESPN the women’s and men’s finals and coverage on Labor Day, a CBS staple. ESPN has carried considerable parts of the tournament since 2009.

With the ESPN deal, the women’s and men’s semifinals will both be in prime time. Matches will be carried on ESPN and ESPN2 and streamed online.

ESPN offers some coverage from all four Grand Slams, including the Wimbledon finals as part of a 12-year deal. ESPN could license some U.S. Open matches to the Tennis Channel. On a conference call, ESPN chief John Skipper said he expects to explore that.

United States Tennis Association (USTA) Chairman Dave Haggerty was asked about the tournament moving fully to cable, the latest big-time event to go exit broadcasting, following BCS Championship, Wimbledon and the Final Four.

“We gave it a lot of thought,” Haggerty said. “I mean, it's a 46-year relationship and partnership we've had with CBS and broadcast. We certainly went through a lot of internal discussions. We had very good conversations with CBS. As we went down that path, we realized we really weren't able to come to a mutually agreeable solution. We then began to explore some opportunities externally.”

The USTA plans an expansion of its New York grounds, where it holds the U.S. Open. Haggerty indicated that ESPN’s rights fees will help with the costs. “It’s very important,” he said. “Stability going forward with the preeminent sports media outlet in the country is huge. It gets us in a very stable position as we go out and start making the changes in the facility.”

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