ESPN 3D, a network about 64 people across the country have, will air the last five days of tournament action from the hallowed grounds of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club also known as SW19 also known as Wimbledon.
Now that ESPN has the full rights to the entire tournament beginning this year, ESPN 3D gets into the act for the second consecutive year and with an expanded schedule that includes both the Ladies and Gentlemen’s Finals.
ESPN 3D begins its coverage with the Gentlemen’s Quarterfinals on Wednesday, July 4. All of the action that will be aired on ESPN 3D will be live.
Here’s the announcement.
ESPN 3D to Televise Final Five Days of Wimbledon Live, including Finals
Cliff Drysdale: “It’s like you are on the court!”
ESPN 3D, which presented the first televised 3D tennis last year at Wimbledon, will expand its schedule for the upcoming Championships with live telecasts for the final five days of the tournament – Wednesday, July 4, through the Ladies’ and Gentlemen’s Finals on Saturday, July 7, and Sunday, July 8. All the matches aired on ESPN 3D will be competed on Wimbledon’s famed Centre Court, and will be reaired that night at 9 p.m. ET.
“On the dawn of new era of Wimbledon for fans with ESPN’s exclusive and all-live multi-platform approach, it is only appropriate that ESPN 3D be there providing a unique view of Finals and the critical matches leading to them,” said Bryan Burns, ESPN vice president, strategic business planning. “We are proud to continue ESPN’s heritage as a leader in technical innovations and that the ESPN 3D schedule is filled with top-level Championship events from around the world.”
Jed Drake, ESPN senior vice president and executive producer, said, “ESPN 3D adds to our depth of coverage with a compelling new look at ESPN’s top events. It joins our long list of Emmy Award-winning innovations, including in-car cameras, the 1st and Ten line, the K Zone, tennis’ ShotSpot and the Virtual Playbook.”
Last year at Wimbledon, ESPN 3D aired one Gentlemen’s semifinal live (Jo-Wilfried Tsonga vs. Novak Djokovic), plus the other semi and both Finals on a delayed basis. Cliff Drysdale, who has been with ESPN since the network’s first tennis telecast in 1979, worked that first ESPN 3D telecast with Brad Gilbert. Drysdale says, “The picture is spectacular. You get a whole different view. It’s like you are on the court and it comes right at you. It’s amazing.”
ESPN 3D at Wimbledon 2012
Date Time (ET) Event Wed, July 4 8 a.m. Two Gentlemen’s Quarterfinals LIVE 9 p.m. Two Gentlemen’s Quarterfinals Reair Thur, July 5 8 a.m. Two Ladies’ Semifinals LIVE 9 p.m. Two Ladies’ Semifinals Reair Fri, July 6 8 a.m. Two Gentlemen’s Semifinals LIVE 9 p.m. Two Gentlemen’s Semifinals Reair Sat, July 7 9 a.m. Ladies’ Final LIVE 9 p.m. Ladies’ Final Reair Sun, July 8 9 a.m. Gentlemen’s Final LIVE 9 p.m. Gentlemen’s Final Reair
And that will do it.
