600 Hours of Multi-Court Action from Start to Finish on ESPN3

Serena Returns to Indian Wells after 14 Years, Defends Title in Miami; Djokovic has Two Titles to Defend

The @ESPNTennis schedule in March has extensive coverage of the sport’s two biggest events outside the four Majors – the BNP Paribas Open from Indian Wells, Calif., and the Miami Open presented by Itaú, with an expanded TV schedule from each, plus daily multi-court action on ESPN3 from start to finish. The 46 hours on ESPN and ESPN2 (up from 34.5) is also available on WatchESPN and includes the women’s and men’s championships from both events. In addition, the multi-court presentation on ESPN3 starts the first day of action from each – today at Indian Wells and Wednesday, March 25, in Miami.

Aside from each event’s impact on the season-long points race – including Novak Djokovic defending both titles – the biggest storyline is the much-anticipated return of Serena Williams to Indian Wells after a 14-year boycott. The WTA’s top player has skipped the event since winning it in 2001.

ESPN’s lead tennis host Chris Fowler will work both events, joined in California by Darren Cahill, Chrissie Evert, Patrick McEnroe and Pam Shriver; and in Florida by Cahill, Cliff Drysdale, Brad Gilbert and Mary Joe Fernandez.

BNP Paribas Open, Indian Wells, Calif.

• ESPN3: daily March 11 – 22 providing all matches from the three main courts (Stadiums 1, 2 and 3).
• TV and WatchESPN: 21 hours, begins Thursday, March 19, and concludes with the Women’s and Men’s Championships on ESPN on Sunday, March 22.
• Chris Fowler, Darren Cahill, Chrissie Evert, Patrick McEnroe, Pam Shriver
• Defending Champions: Novak Djokovic, Flavia Pennetta

Miami Open presented by Itaú, Miami

• ESPN3: daily March 25 – April 5, with all matches from the three main courts (Stadium, Grandstand, Court 1)
• TV and WatchESPN: 25 hours starts Wednesday, April 1, and continues through the Women’s Championship on ESPN2 (Sat., April 4) and the Men’s Championship (Sun., April 5) on ESPN.
• Chris Fowler and Cliff Drysdale will share play-by-play duties, working with analyst Darren Cahill, Brad Gilbert and Mary Joe Fernandez
• Defending Champions: Novak Djokovic, Serena Williams

ESPN3

ESPN3 is ESPN’s live multi-screen sports network, a destination that delivers thousands of exclusive sports events annually.  It is accessible online at WatchESPN.com, on smartphones and tablets via the WatchESPN app and streamed on televisions through Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku, Xbox 360 and Xbox One.  The network is currently available to more than 99 million homes at no additional cost to fans who receive their high-speed Internet connection or video subscription from an affiliated service provider.  The network is also available at no cost to approximately 21 million U.S. college students and U.S.-based military personnel via computers, smartphones and tablets connected to on-campus educational and on-base military broadband and Wi-Fi networks. ESPN3 carries thousands of hours of tennis annually, including all four Grand Slam events, plus ATP 1000 and 500 tournaments and WTA Premier Events, and the season-ending championships for both tours.

WatchESPN

WatchESPN will deliver all the live television action. Launched in October 2010, WatchESPN delivers live access to ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN3, ESPNEWS, ESPN Deportes, ESPN Goal Line, ESPN Buzzer Beater, ESPN Bases Loaded, Longhorn Network, SEC Network and SEC Network + on computers, smartphones, tablets, Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku, Xbox 360 and Xbox One.  It is currently accessible in more than 93 million households nationwide to fans who receive ESPN’s networks as part of their video subscription.

ESPN – All Four Majors, All In One Place

Tennis has been part of ESPN since its first week on the air, providing numerous memorable moments, but it has never been as important as today, with the addition this year of exclusivity at the US Open in an 11-year agreement.  That event joined 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 added in a 12-year agreement that started in 2012.  In addition, ESPN3 delivers an unmatched multi-screen presentation of the sport’s four majors, all ATP 1000 and 500 tournaments, WTA Premier Events and season-ending championships for both tours.

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