The following is a brief timeline featuring highlights of NBC’s history of covering The Championpships, Wimbledon.
1969 — NBC gains the rights to air The Championships, Wimbledon.
1979 — Airs the first “Breakfast at Wimbledon”, the men’s final live between Bjorn Borg and Roscoe Tanner. All women’s and men’s final had been aired on tape delay. It also marks the first year for Dick Enberg, an association of 28 years that ends with this year’s tournament on ESPN2.
1980 — Airs the Bjorn Borg-John McEnroe final that lasts five sets and 4th set tiebreaker that ends 18-16 in McEnroe’s favor.
1982 — Dick Enberg begins calling matches for NBC with Bud Collins.
1991 — NBC hires Jimmy Connors and Chris Evert to join their coverage.
1996 — NBC hires John McEnroe as its main tennis analyst.
1999 — Dick Enberg calls his final Wimbledon for NBC.
2000 — Ted Robinson is hired to replace Dick Enberg to call the French Open and Wimbledon.
2003 — Mary Carillo joins NBC Sports as a co-analyst with McEnroe.
2008 — Draws its highest ratings since 2000 for the epic Rafael Nadal-Roger Federer five set final.
2011 — NBC’s final Breakfasts at Wimbledon are Maria Sharapova vs. Petra Kvitova and Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic as ESPN wrests the rights away in negotiations.
