You can see my full article with most of the details of TSN’s new broadcast deal with Wimbledon here. As I mentioned, TSN will have exclusive English language rights and RDS will have exclusive French language rights in Canada. Here are some other highlights of the deal that have been released since.
- Simultaneous coverage on TSN/TSN2 for the Round of 16 and quarter finals. Much the same as ESPN/ESPN2 do in the United States. It means we will get every single quarter final from Wimbledon on TV in Canada.
- Wimbledon ratings were up 21% from last year on TSN.
- They were up 44% on RDS, with an average of 79, 000 watching the tournament. The men’s final hit 211, 000 (up 76%), and the women’s 140, 000 (up 92%). These increases are spectacular. They may have had something to do with last year’s tournament going head-to-head with the FIFA World Cup.
- TSN will have over 140 hours of coverage between the main channel and TSN2. RDS will have over 100 hours of coverage.
- TSN Radio will have radio coverage of the event. If I had to guess, they will only have the finals and maybe the semi finals.
And a quote from Stewart Johnson, President, TSN:
TSN’s mandate has always been to bring the world’s best athletes and top sporting events to Canadians and we are thrilled to extend our partnership with the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club and add the Wimbledon Finals to our slate of marquee championship events. Acquiring a long-term exclusive agreement for all Wimbledon coverage ensures that Canadian tennis fans will be well-served with exceptional live tennis coverage across multiple TSN platforms over the next decade.
A Rouge Point 