If ESPN is not going to show matches

[barry]

Why not let the Tennis Channel show them. Read where ESPN demanded it have exclusive coverage of the NASDAQ tournament, preventing the Tennis Channel from showing any matches. Then ESPN shows street ball or some other recorded event.

[david7410]

It makes one want to go postal, doesn't it?

[Fee]

Do you have a link to that article Barry?

[mj01]

If only the world were so simple. Its not.

The problem with ESPN and tennis is pretty simple. Tennis gets crap ratings. Thus, its low-priority. But even with those crap ratings, ESPN sells commercial time at rates based on an expected viewership. ESPN can increase its viewership by retaining exclusive rights to tournaments.

And yes, I know the argument is that the Tennis Channel would only show stuff that ESPN was not showing, but really, why should ESPN allow the Tennis Channel access to what it feels is its product? The potential is there for the commercial dollars to migrate to the Tennis Channel. Ad buyers could analyze it, say that a siginicant portion of the folks who watch tennis are likely to have the Tennis Channel, get cheaper rates for advertising from the Tennis Channel, and invest the ad dollars there. Not good for ESPN from a business standpoint.

It sucks for the people who want to watch, but its just business reality.