The Wimbledon Championships are one of the greatest traditions in international sport. For years Canadian coverage of the finals has aired on Global. A channel that most everybody can get with just an antenna. This year everything changes as TSN takes over exclusive Canadian coverage of the entire fortnight of The Championships.
The story is much the same in America where ESPN now hold exclusive rights. For more than 40 years NBC broadcast Wimbledon to American audiences. They inaugurated Breakfast at Wimbledon, delivering the ladies’ and gentlemen’s finals live to American audiences in the early morning hours. The major problem with NBC’s coverage was tape delay during the important second week of The Championships. NBC would force west coast viewers to watch matches on a 3 hour delay. And as a result ESPN’s afternoon ET matches were also not broadcast at all on the west coast. This wasn’t an issue in Canada because TSN broadcast most coverage live. However, it is one of the primary reasons why Wimbledon has moved away from Global and NBC to TSN and ESPN for the next ten years.
Milos Raonic is the top ranked Canadian singles player, seeded 21st.
ESPN will carry on and enhance the Breakfast at Wimbledon tradition. All four semifinals will air live for the first time in America. ESPN will also broadcast five pregame shows under the “Breakfast at Wimbledon” moniker. And while over-the-air coverage is a thing of the past in Canada, ABC will broadcast three highlights shows south of the 49th.
One of the most important parts of the new TSN deal for Canadians is it includes online streaming for TSN.ca. Select matches that are not on TSN or TSN2 will be available live online.
Overall, I’m not sure whether to embrace the new ESPN coverage, or long for the tradition of NBC. Breakfast at Wimbledon on NBC (well actually Global) is my first memory of watching tennis. For seven straight years from the time I began watching tennis I witnessed Roger Federer in the Wimbledon final on NBC. Their coverage had the feeling that it was important. Historical even. The task for ESPN is to carry that tradition on to their network. The next two weeks will tell whether they can.
ESPN’s broadcast team for the Wimbledon Championships is led by hosts and play-by-play commentators Chris Fowler and Mike Tirico. Fowler is ESPN’s top commentator, while Tirico is making his Wimbledon debut. Hannah Storm is also a part of ESPN’s coverage as a studio host. ESPN’s other main play-by-play commentator is veteran Cliff Drysdale. Analysts include John McEnroe, Patrick McEnroe, Darren Cahill, Brad Gilbert, Chris Evert, Mary Joe Fernandez and Pam Shriver.
Continue after the break for a complete Wimbledon broadcast schedule. All times are Eastern.
Monday 6/25 from 6:30am-5pm – First Round – TSN
Tuesday 6/26 from 7am-5pm – First Round – TSN
Wednesday 6/27 from 7am-2pm – Second Round – TSN
Wednesday 6/27 from 2pm-5pm – Second Round – TSN2
Thursday 6/28 from 7am-2pm – Second Round – TSN
Thursday 6/28 from 2pm-5pm – Second Round – TSN2
Friday 6/29 from 7am-5pm – Third Round – TSN
Saturday 6/30 from 8am-3pm – Third Round – TSN*
Sunday 7/1 from 3pm-6pm – Week One Highlights – ABC
Monday 7/2 from 8am-3pm – Round of 16 (Centre Court) – TSN
Monday 7/2 from 11:30am-5pm – Round of 16 – TSN2
Tuesday 7/3 from 8am-1pm – Ladies’ Quarterfinals (Centre Court) – TSN
Tuesday 7/3 from 11:30am-5pm – Ladies’ Quarterfinals – TSN2
Wednesday 7/4 from 8am-3pm – Men’s Quarterfinals (Centre Court) – TSN
Wednesday 7/4 from 11:30am-5pm – Men’s Quarterfinals – TSN2
Thursday 7/5 from 8am-1pm – Ladies’ Semifinals – TSN*
Friday 7/6 from 8am-2pm – Men’s Semifinals – TSN*
Saturday 7/7 from 9am-2pm – Ladies’ Championship – TSN*
Saturday 7/7 from 3pm-6pm – Ladies’ Championship Highlights – ABC
Sunday 7/8 from 9am-3pm – Men’s Championship – TSN*
Sunday 7/8 from 3pm-6pm – Men’s Championship Highlights – ABC
*A one hour pre-match Breakfast at Wimbledon show will air before these broadcasts.
A Rouge Point 
What are odds TSN shows Milos Raonic’s matches if they are on a TV court over whatever it is ESPN is showing?
I asked TSN about this. Didn’t get a response.
Would it be alright with both of you if I contact TSN by phone and see if I can get an answer regarding Ticky’s question? If/when I receive a response, I will post it in this thread. Sounds good? :)
Ticky,
I just spoke to someone at TSN audience relations and I was told that they will show all of Milos Raonic’s matches over whatever ESPN is showing. Raonic’s match today will air on TSN2. Start time is listed as 1:30 pm eastern.
After taking a look at TSN’s schedule, it sounds like the person I spoke to might be mistaken. I noticed that TSN2 is showing Sportscentre until 3 pm then they have this year’s Hockey Hall of Fame Inductee Announcement. Hopefully Raonic’s match is shown live in it’s entirety today on the main TSN feed.
My thought was TSN would continue showing ESPN’s coverage while TSN2 cut into their programming to show Raonic (at least where possible). So maybe that’s what they did? I wasn’t home.
I found this from digitalhome.ca:
http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=140801&page=10
“The Raonic match was unfortunately moved from the original televised court to a non televised court.”
So TSN and TSN.ca did not show Raonic’s match as a result. They instead showed Pospisil’s match on TSN.ca and TSN’s main feed.
how can your people in the booth today at Wimbledon be so ill-informed, ignorant, and disrespectful as to repeatedly refer to The Duchess of Cornwall as Camilla Parker Bowles? Dr Gwilym Bevan Kitchener Ontario