SPORT1 Channel Acquires Exclusive Broadcast Rights To ATP World Tour

Until 2013: ATP World Tour Masters 1000 and 500 tournaments live and in highlights, exclusively on SPORT1+, SPORT1.de and SPORT1*

Viewers in Germany can now accompany the international tennis elite featuring the likes of Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic on the ATP World Tour on the platforms of multimedia umbrella brand SPORT1: SPORT1 GmbH has secured the transmission rights for the German territory to all ATP World Tour Masters 1000 and 500* tournaments for the next three years – including the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals in London in November. With this deal, SPORT1 is planning a total of more than 400 hours of live tennis per year.

SPORT1 has acquired the exclusive multimedia TV, online and mobile distribution rights for the German territory for all ATP World Tour Masters 1000 and  ATP World Tour 500* tournaments from ATP Media, the broadcast rights arm  of ATP.The deal runs until the end of the 2013 season and includes both the live and highlight rights and showing the tournaments in the broadcaster’s own news formats.

According to current planning, all tournaments of the Masters 1000 series will be broadcast live on the pay-TV channel SPORT1+ – on SPORT1+ HD also in native HD – as well as the finals on the online platform SPORT1.de. Selected matches will also be shown on free-to-air TV on SPORT1. In addition, various events of the 500 series will likewise be streamed live on SPORT1+ and SPORT1.de.

From 2011 to 2013, SPORT1 will show on its various platforms the clay court tournaments in Monte Carlo, Madrid and Rome, the North American hard court events in Indian Wells, Miami, Montreal/Toronto and Cincinnati and the indoor tournaments from Shanghai and Paris, among others – culminating in the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals at The O2 in London in November. As well as the world’s top-ranked players, viewers can also follow the fortunes of Germany’s top players such as Philipp Kohlschreiber, Florian Mayer and Philipp Petzschner on the ATP World Tour. SPORT1 is planning a total of over 400 hours of tennis per year, live and in highlights.

Coverage kicks off with the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters, which SPORT1+ will broadcast live from 11 April, featuring, among others, the top 3 men in the world rankings – Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic.

Chief Editor of SPORT1 Alexander Rösner says: “With the exclusive transmission rights to the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 and 500 events, SPORT1 now has the most important international tournaments after the Grand Slams in its schedule. From now on we’re giving tennis fans in Germany the chance to follow world-class tennis live on the various SPORT1 platforms.”

Steve Plasto, CEO of ATP Media said “We are extremely pleased to welcome  a new broadcast partner  in SPORT1. The ATP World Tour will now have extensive coverage in Germany, and we look forward to building a long term partnership with the SPORT1 team”

With the broadcast rights for the ATP World Tour Masters 1000s and 500s*, free-to-air sports channel SPORT1 is comprehensively expanding its existing tennis portfolio, which includes the Davis Cup and the BMW Open by FWU Takaful, an ATP World Tour 250 tournament.

*excluding  the German Open in Hamburg
 
Forthcoming ATP World Tour coverage on SPORT1 at a glance:

Monday 11 April, from 10:30 a.m. live on SPORT1+
Tennis Live: Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters
1st round

Tuesday 12 April, from 10:30 a.m. live on SPORT1+
Tennis Live: Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters
1st and 2nd rounds

Wednesday 13 April, from 10:30 a.m. live on SPORT1+
Tennis Live: Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters
2nd round

Thursday 14 April, from 10:30 a.m. live on SPORT1+
Tennis Live: Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters
Last sixteen

Friday 15 April, from 10:30 a.m. live on SPORT1+
Tennis Live: Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters
Quarter-finals

Saturday 16 April, from 1:30 p.m. live on SPORT1+
Tennis Live: Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters
Semi-final

Sunday 17 April, from 2:15 p.m. live on SPORT1+ and SPORT1.de
Tennis Live: Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters
Final