PARIS: Discovery owned pan-European sportscaster Eurosport will take its coverage of Grand Slam tennis to new heights when it launches a new channel exclusively for Roland Garros with every match from the prestigious Philippe Chatrier centre court available in Ultra High Definition, for the very first time.
The channel, available for the duration of the tournament from Sunday 27 May to Sunday 10 June, will be branded Eurosport 4K and available in the UK (via Sky Q^ and Virgin TV), France (via Canal), Germany (via HD+), Spain (via Orange) and more markets to be confirmed very soon.
For this year’s Roland Garros, Eurosport 4K will only show live action from Philippe Chatrier. It also represents the first time Eurosport has broadcast a live sporting event in Ultra HD in multiple markets at one time following Eurosport Germany’s successful transmission of the Bundesliga fixture between 1 FC Koln and Borussia Dortmund in Ultra HD in February.
Emir Osmanbegovic, SVP Sports Content and Production at Eurosport, said: “Eurosport has become a by-word for innovation and our tennis coverage is no different – we are always looking to push the boundaries to make our coverage more compelling for tennis fans across Europe.
“We have already taken our coverage to a whole new level through short formats such as The Coach which combines analysis and technology through a mixed-reality studio. Eurosport 4K is the most immersive viewing experience available and we are delighted that tennis fans across Europe will be able to experience the drama of Roland Garros in this way.”
All screens approach
Eurosport Wednesday unveiled its editorial and production strategy for this year’s Roland Garros with a focus on greater social and digital content in addition to the most complete programming schedule fronted by the best tennis experts in the sport.
It was also announced Kim Clijsters, former world number one and four-time Grand Slam champion, will join Eurosport’s team of experts for Roland Garros that already boasts Mats Wilander, Barbara Schett, Chris Evert, John McEnroe and Patrick Mouratoglou – coach of Serena Williams.
Across the 52 markets – 14 exclusively – that will broadcast the second Grand Slam of the year – no fewer than 14 former top 10-ranked players will provide analysis on Eurosport’s channels including Boris Becker (Germany), Henri Leconte (France), Marion Bartoli (France), Vera Zvonereva (Russia), Anna Chakvetadze (Russia), Alex Corretja (Spain), Conchita Martinez (Spain), Jonas Bjorkman (Sweden) and Greg Rusedski (UK).
Eurosport, which has delivered every Roland Garros tournament since 1989, will once again show every point from every match on 16 courts on linear, the Eurosport Player and Eurosport app – equating to 250 hours of live action over the fortnight of action from the French capital. Eurosport’s updated app will also allow fans to access all matches on all courts anywhere they want, giving them the chance to watch the action live (up to 16 courts), study the profiles of the players and look at player head-to-head data.
In addition to the main draw, Eurosport will also deliver the qualifying tournament on its various platforms from Sunday 20 May. Two matches a day will be available on its linear channels with the remaining qualifying action exclusive to its digital platforms (Eurosport.com, Eurosport Player and Eurosport app) – strengthening Eurosport’s digital-first approach to screening premium sporting content.
Eurosport will offer more digital and social content at Roland Garros in 2018. Eurosport in France, Spain, Germany and the UK will produce bi-weekly, 30-minute vodcasts during tournament-time with expert comments from Arnaud di Pasquale, Alex Corretja, Boris Becker and Greg Rusedski. Nicolas Escude in France, Becker in Germany and Manuel Poyan in Spain will leave no stone unturned in daily video interviews for Eurosport’s social media platforms that will keep fans right up-to-date on the goings on from Paris.
Also off the court:
• Mats Wilander and Barbara Schett will once again host Eurosport’s daily flagship show Game Schett and Mats where the duo will review and preview the best matches
• John McEnroe will take an offbeat look at the sport as he assumes his role as the self-appointed Commissioner of Tennis in an eight-episode series
• Patrick Mouratoglou will analyse the games of the top players in the world in The Coach
Emir Osmanbegovic, SVP Sports Content and Production at Eurosport, said: “I firmly believe Eurosport gives viewers across the continent something different, something that little bit extra when it comes to our coverage of the Grand Slams. It doesn’t matter who your favourite player is, you can see them play on Eurosport – whether it be on TV, online or on your mobile device.
“We will have every angle covered, the highlights and previews from Mats [Wilander] and Barbara [Schett], the humour of John McEnroe taking an alternative look at tennis, and the incredible analysis from one of the top tennis brains in the game – Patrick Mouratoglou.
“This year should be extra special with Rafa Nadal looking to win an astonishing 11th Roland Garros title while there is the huge question on whether another icon of the game – Serena Williams – can claim another Grand Slam title after an extended period of absence.”
