Cable networks ESPN and the Tennis Channel have signed a deal to jointly cover tennis' French Open and Australian Open.
The parties declined to discuss deal terms, but ESPN and Tennis Channel are positioning the shared arrangement as a cross-promotional plus that could attract more viewers to the matches.
Deal guarantees that the French Open and Australian Open will receive virtually round-the-clock coverage, including the big weekend matches on NBC for the former.
Starting on May 27, and running for two weeks, Tennis Channel will cablecast 100 hours of French Open programming; ESPN2 will carry 55 hours. Australian Open coverage starts next January, with ESPN2 scheduled to do 110 hours and Tennis Channel about 100 hours.
The ESPN/Tennis Channel contract runs through 2011.
The two nets will supply their own announcers and sell their own advertising time independent of one another.
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