The 2009 Australian Open will be aired live in the United States on ESPN2 and Tennis Channel.
Tennis Channel is slated to air 30 live or first-run hours during the two-week major, while ESPN2 is scheduled to broadcast nearly 100 hours of primetime and overnight coverage.
Tennis Channel, the only 24-hour, television-based multimedia destination dedicated to both the professional sport and passionate lifestyle of tennis, will begin its second annual coverage of the Australian Open Monday, January 19, at 7 p.m. ET.
The tournament is part of Tennis Channel’s Grand Slam multimedia alliance with ESPN2, which offers audiences a near round-the-clock tournament experience. ESPN2 is producing all Australian Open coverage for both networks, which will cross-promote each other and make use of their own commentators.
Play will begin on ESPN2 on Sunday, Jan. 18 at 7 p.m. ET and will continue through the women’s and men’s finals live Saturday, Jan. 31, and Sunday, Feb. 1, respectively.
In addition to comprehensive tournament telecasts, Tennis Channel will return daily morning show Australian Open Today to U.S. viewers who are just getting a start on their daily activities as the action is coming to a close on the other side of the world in Melbourne.
Australian Open On-Air Talent
Veteran sportscaster Bill Macatee will return to the Tennis Channel booth during this year’s Australian Open, along with Hall of Fame tennis-legend Martina Navratilova, primary analyst for all network Grand Slam coverage. Also returning is longtime Tennis Channel play-by-play commentator Leif Shiras, and analyst and features reporter Justin Gimelstob. New to the Tennis Channel Australian Open team this year is former top-ranked doubles player Corina Morariu, who will handle sideline and interview duties, and appear in feature material.
ESPN2’s tennis team will be headlined by Cliff Drysdale – who has been with ESPN since its first tennis telecast in 1979 – and sportscasting legend Dick Enberg, along with Hall of Famer Bud Collins as analyst and essayist. Chris Fowler will again host and call select matches, with returnees former Australian star player-turned coach Darren Cahill, Mary Carillo, Mary Joe Fernandez, Brad Gilbert, Patrick McEnroe, and Pam Shriver, who will primarily serve as a courtside reporter. In addition, reporters Tiffany Cherry of ESPN International, a Melbourne native, and Tom Rinaldi will contribute features, news and interviews during event coverage and on SportsCenter.
Australian Open Television Schedule
All times are Eastern. These times are subject to change, so please verify them with your local television provider.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Early Round Play – ESPN2 – 7:00 pm – 2:00 am (LIVE)
Monday, January 19, 2009
Early Round Play – ESPN2 – 3:30 am – 8:00 am (LIVE)
Early Round Play – ESPN2 – 3:00 pm – 7:00 pm (Same-day)
Early Round Play – ESPN2 – 9:00 pm – 2:00 am (LIVE)
Early Round Play – TTC – 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm (LIVE or First Run)
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Early Round Play – ESPN2 – 3:30 am – 8:00 am (LIVE)
Early Round Play – ESPN2 – 3:00 pm – 7:00 pm (Same-day)
Early Round Play – ESPN2 – 10:00 pm – 2:00 am (LIVE)
Early Round Play – TTC – 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm (LIVE or First Run)
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Early Round Play – ESPN2 – 3:30 am – 8:00 am (LIVE)
Early Round Play – ESPN2 – 3:00 pm – 7:00 pm (Same-day)
Early Round Play – ESPN2 – 11:00 pm – 2:00 am (LIVE)
Early Round Play – TTC – 7:00 pm – 11:00 pm (LIVE or First Run)
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Early Round Play – ESPN2 – 3:30 am – 8:00 am (LIVE)
Early Round Play – ESPN2 – 3:00 pm – 7:00 pm (Same-day)
Early Round Play – ESPN2 – 11:00 pm – 2:00 am (LIVE)
Early Round Play – TTC – 7:00 pm – 11:00 pm (LIVE or First Run)
Friday, January 23, 2009
Early Round Play – ESPN2 – 3:30 am – 8:00 am (LIVE)
Early Round Play – ESPN2 – 3:00 pm – 7:00 pm (Same-day)
Early Round Play – ESPN2 – 7:00 pm – 9:30 pm (LIVE)
Early Round Play – ESPN2 – 11:30 pm – 2:00 am (LIVE)
Early Round Play – TTC – 9:30 pm – 11:30 pm (LIVE or First Run)
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Early Round Play – ESPN2 – 3:30 am – 8:00 am (LIVE)
Early Round Play – ESPN2 – 9:00 am – 2:00 pm (Same-day)
Early Round Play – ESPN2 – 10:00 pm – 1:30 am (LIVE)
Early Round Play – TTC – 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm (LIVE or First Run)
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Early Round Play – ESPN2 – 3:30 am – 8:00 am (LIVE)
Early Round Play – ESPN2 – 12:00 pm – 5:00 pm (Same-day)
Round of Sixteen – ESPN2 – 9:00 pm – 1:30 am (LIVE)
Round of Sixteen – TTC – 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm (LIVE or First Run)
Monday, January 26, 2009
Round of Sixteen – ESPN2 – 3:30 am – 6:00 am (LIVE)
Round of Sixteen – ESPN2 – 3:00 pm – 7:00 pm (Same-day)
Men’s and Women’s Quarterfinals – ESPN2 – 9:30 pm – 1:30 am (LIVE)
Women’s Quarterfinals – TTC – 7:00 pm – 9:30 pm (LIVE or First Run)
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Men’s and Women’s Quarterfinals – ESPN2 – 3:30 am – 6:00 am (LIVE)
Men’s and Women’s Quarterfinals – ESPN2 – 3:00 pm – 7:00 pm (Same-day)
Men’s and Women’s Quarterfinals – ESPN2 – 9:30 pm – 2:00 am (LIVE)
Men’s and Women’s Quarterfinals – TTC – 7:00 pm – 9:30 pm (LIVE or First Run)
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Men’s and Women’s Quarterfinals – ESPN2 – 3:30 am – 6:00 am (LIVE)
Men’s and Women’s Quarterfinals – ESPN2 – 3:00 pm – 7:00 pm (Same-day)
Women’s Semifinals – ESPN2 – 9:30 pm – 1:30 am (LIVE)
Men’s Quarterfinals – TTC – 9:00 pm – 11:00 pm (LIVE or First Run)
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Men’s Semifinal #1 – ESPN2 – 3:30 am – 6:00 am (LIVE)
Men’s Semifinal #1 – ESPN2 – 3:00 pm – 6:00 pm (re-air)
Women’s Doubles Final – TTC – 9:00 pm – 3:00 am (LIVE or First Run)
Friday, January 30, 2009
Men’s Semifinal #2 – ESPN2 – 3:30 am – 6:00 am (LIVE)
Men’s Semifinal #2 – ESPN2 – 3:00 pm – 6:00 pm (re-air)
Men’s Doubles Final – TTC – 11:30 pm – 1:00 am (LIVE or First Run)
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Women’s Final – ESPN2 – 3:30 am – 5:30 am (LIVE)
Women’s Final – ESPN2 – 9:00 am – 11:00 am (re-air)
Women’s Final – ESPN2 – 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm (re-air)
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Mixed Doubles Final – TTC – 12:00 am – 1:30 am (LIVE or First Run)
Men’s Final – ESPN2 – 3:30 am – 6:30 am (LIVE)
Men’s and Women’s Final – ESPN2 – 3:00 pm – 8:00 pm (re-air)
Australian Open Today airs Monday, Jan. 19-Friday, Jan. 30 on Tennis Channel. The show generally runs from 8 a.m.-2 p.m. ET. Exceptions are (all times ET): Saturday, Jan. 24 – 2 p.m.-7 p.m, Sunday, Jan. 25 – 8 a.m.-noon, Thursday, Jan. 29, and Friday, Jan 30 – 6 a.m.-2 p.m.
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Please tell Mary Carillo to STOP TALKING during the points! It is extremely annoying!
Oh no,
What ********invited Jim Courier back again? He’s the most overrated commentator I’ve ever had the misfortune to listen to. John McEnro was entertaining and insightful, Courier is just antagonistic and talks over people, without even listening to the point of view of the other person, then argues about players he admits that he’s never even see play before…What a ****…
your coverage of the australian open in the worst coverage of an event i have ever seen!!!!!! I dvr everything (day and night) and i couldnt even watch a match from beginning to end..esp the big matches. you should be ashamed to call yourself a sports network!
next time let’s leave the tennis coverage to nbc or some other network cause you **** the big one!!!!
that’ show’s what ***** coverage espn has! i didnt even know jim courier was commentating. your right..he ****** last year and mary carillo just like to hear herself talk
i guess they have a deal with the tennis channel and want to force people to apy for it. i’m watching baghdatis and jokovich now and i bet the end of the match gets cut off…again!!!!!
Debra –
Thanks for commenting at On the Baseline, however, we have nothing to do with ESPN and its scheduled programming. If you would like to leave a message for ESPN, please do so by visiting this link:
http://proxy.espn.go.com/espn/contact
Hi, Martina: I love you! You are doing a fantastic job as commentator. Watching Tennis Channel on Direct TV and your comments are Spot On! I learn so much just listening to your comments during the matches. I learned to love football because of John Madden when he was commentator. I feel the very same about you. In my book, you do the BEST JOB….by far……of ANYONE! My sincere thanks……….
Gail Lackhoff
Happy Viewer
these really were wonderful