DIRECTV’s French Open Interactive Delivers Un Magnifique Viewing Expérience for Tennis Fans
May 20, 2009
EL SEGUNDO, Calif.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—DIRECTV continues its unparalleled run of expanded Grand Slam tennis coverage with the return of its exclusive French Open Interactive service, providing tennis fans with six channels of live tennis action from ESPN2 and Tennis Channel and instant access to scores and match schedules.
Offering more than 350 hours of coverage, the full DIRECTV Interactive™ service will be available during the first eight days of tournament play at Roland Garros Stadium in Paris, from May 24 through May 31. Interactive features will continue to be available during live coverage on the networks June 1 through June 4. More information about the French Open Interactive service is available at DIRECTV.com.
DIRECTV’s French Open Mix channel will be in HD for the first time this year and will enable fans to simultaneously view up to six live matches, including the featured match on the Tennis Channel or ESPN2 (also both available in HD), highlight each cell to listen to the live audio feed, and tune to each match full screen. On each court channel viewers will have instant access to live scores, a look at current and upcoming matches, match results and the men’s and women’s draw.
“Grand Slam tennis events attract passionate and engaged TV viewers who appreciate the immersive viewing experience of DIRECTV’s interactive service,” said Eric Shanks, executive vice president, DIRECTV Entertainment. “The higher usage of interactive services and the enormous amount of time users watch the event speaks volumes about the value of this service for tennis fans and reinforces DIRECTV’s position as the undisputed leader in sports.”
Usage numbers for the Australian Open Interactive service broadcast by DIRECTV in January showed that nearly half of all viewers used the interactive application and that average daily viewing time was more than 95 percent higher among app users over non-app users. Cumulative viewing time was more than 350 percent higher among app users.
Tennis fans also now have access to French Open programming on DIRECTV On Demand. A preview of the event provides a guide to players to watch, current rankings and a variety of other information to enhance fans’ enjoyment of the tournament. During the event, on-demand will feature a program of daily highlights that will include the best rallies and shots of the day and a focus on how featured players are faring in tournament play.