NBC announces long-term agreement with Wimbledon
06/07/2007 |
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NBC Sports has reached an agreement with The All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club on a long-term extension of its contract to broadcast The Championships, Wimbledon. The announcement was made by Dick Ebersol, Chairman, NBC Universal Sports & Olympics, in conjunction with Tim Phillips, Chairman of the All England Club.
According to Variety the terms of the multi-year agreement are: for another four years, starting in 2008, ponying up $12 million a year vs. $13 million in the current contract.
The license fee dropped by $1 million a year at least in part because the Wimbledon ratings tumbled in 2006 by 20% from the previous year's average.
This year marks the 39th consecutive year NBC Sports has broadcast the Championships, the longest partnership in the network's history. As part of the new extension, NBC Sports retains digital media rights to the Championships, including sharing Wimbledon LIVE online coverage at NBCSports.com and live mobile coverage.
"`Breakfast at Wimbledon' has become a tradition in American sports and part of the lexicon in American culture," said Ebersol. "I'm extremely pleased that we'll be continuing our wonderful relationship with the All England Club, into its 40th anniversary and beyond."
Tim Phillips, Chairman of the All England Club, said: "We are delighted that our long partnership with NBC Sports is to continue. NBC Sports will have again presented over 37 hours of network coverage from The Championships this year, with all the traditional quality and expertise that we have come to expect from them.
"NBC's 'Breakfast at Wimbledon' featuring the two Singles Finals will no doubt be as popular as ever, having itself become an institution and compulsive viewing for many American fans."
NBC Sports presents more than 37 hours of coverage of the 2007 Championships, Wimbledon, culminating with exclusive live "Breakfast at Wimbledon" coverage of the Ladies' final on Saturday, July 7 and the Gentlemen's final on Sunday, July 8.
ESPN2 is supplementing NBC's coverage this week with lots of men's quarterfinals and a women's semifinal. The sports cabler's contract, like NBC's, is up this season. ESPN is negotiating for a renewal of the current four-year deal, which funnels $6.4 million a year to Wimbledon rights holder the All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club.
(Source: Sportsbusinessnews.com)
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