Tennis on ITV

Who would have believed it! ITV are now showing tennis on one of their terrestrial channels and are doing so uninterrupted without having to show other programmes. Anyway what are your thoughts on ITV's new venturing into tennis, and should ITV try to bid for rights for full Wimbledon coverage bearing in mind that they have the capability to show uninterrupted tennis on more than 1 channel due to having 4 channels being available for broadcasting throughout a day as opposed to just the 2 channels for the BBC.

I think it's great that ITV - thanks to ITV4 - are showing so much of the French. But BBC have Wimbledon wrapped up for a few years at least under current arrangements.
Could do without the intensely annoying ads, though, particularly the one for Lloyds Bank that probably has the entire country wanting to throw a brick through the TV.

Think Sky should try for Wimbledon. The good thing about the BBC having it as that they cover Queens, so there is some grass tennis to watch prior to the main event. I think despite ITV doing the French Open, if they did other events would make for good analysis prior and after matches. That said I am glad it is terrestrial TV because Eurosport is frustrating and in-consistent with it's coverage.

legendkillarV2 wrote:Think Sky should try for Wimbledon. The good thing about the BBC having it as that they cover Queens, so there is some grass tennis to watch prior to the main event. I think despite ITV doing the French Open, if they did other events would make for good analysis prior and after matches. That said I am glad it is terrestrial TV because Eurosport is frustrating and in-consistent with it's coverage.

No way should Sky get Wimbledon. That will mean that the interest levels in the game will start to drop down in the summer months as a lot of people won't be able to watch it.

Im spoilt for choice here Eurosport 1 & 2 are showing it plus I have ITV too wouldn´t be surprised if Spanish Teledeporte dont soon get in on the act as well.

gboycottnut wrote:

legendkillarV2 wrote:Think Sky should try for Wimbledon. The good thing about the BBC having it as that they cover Queens, so there is some grass tennis to watch prior to the main event. I think despite ITV doing the French Open, if they did other events would make for good analysis prior and after matches. That said I am glad it is terrestrial TV because Eurosport is frustrating and in-consistent with it's coverage.

No way should Sky get Wimbledon.

That will mean that the interest levels in the game will start to drop down in the summer months

as a lot of people won't be able to watch it.

Not at all. Interest levels in the game of tennis in the UK are not strictly down to Wimbledon. The BBC at the moment do good coverage with Wimbledon. I couldn't imagine ITV doing a better job. Where BBC falls short is that they have pundits who have the charisma of a wet fart. Especially on the womens commentary,

If Murray was to win at the US Open, Sky subscription rates would go through the roof.

legendkillarV2 wrote:

gboycottnut wrote:

legendkillarV2 wrote:Think Sky should try for Wimbledon. The good thing about the BBC having it as that they cover Queens, so there is some grass tennis to watch prior to the main event. I think despite ITV doing the French Open, if they did other events would make for good analysis prior and after matches. That said I am glad it is terrestrial TV because Eurosport is frustrating and in-consistent with it's coverage.

No way should Sky get Wimbledon.

That will mean that the interest levels in the game will start to drop down in the summer months

as a lot of people won't be able to watch it.

Not at all. Interest levels in the game of tennis in the UK are not strictly down to Wimbledon. The BBC at the moment do good coverage with Wimbledon. I couldn't imagine ITV doing a better job. Where BBC falls short is that they have pundits who have the charisma of a wet fart. Especially on the womens commentary,

If Murray was to win at the US Open, Sky subscription rates would go through the roof.

I doubt that Sky Subscription rates will go through the roof should Murray win the US Open. Well ITV could actually do a better job than the BBC of showing Wimbledon coverage as they have 4 freeview channel options with which they can use to show live coverage throughout a day as opposed to just the 2 BBC channels which is broadcasting throughout the day.

gboycottnut wrote:

legendkillarV2 wrote:

gboycottnut wrote:

legendkillarV2 wrote:Think Sky should try for Wimbledon. The good thing about the BBC having it as that they cover Queens, so there is some grass tennis to watch prior to the main event. I think despite ITV doing the French Open, if they did other events would make for good analysis prior and after matches. That said I am glad it is terrestrial TV because Eurosport is frustrating and in-consistent with it's coverage.

No way should Sky get Wimbledon.

That will mean that the interest levels in the game will start to drop down in the summer months

as a lot of people won't be able to watch it.

Not at all. Interest levels in the game of tennis in the UK are not strictly down to Wimbledon. The BBC at the moment do good coverage with Wimbledon. I couldn't imagine ITV doing a better job. Where BBC falls short is that they have pundits who have the charisma of a wet fart. Especially on the womens commentary,

If Murray was to win at the US Open, Sky subscription rates would go through the roof.

I doubt that Sky Subscription rates will go through the roof should Murray win the US Open. Well ITV could actually do a better job than the BBC of showing Wimbledon coverage as they have 4 freeview channel options with which they can use to show live coverage throughout a day as opposed to just the 2 BBC channels which is broadcasting throughout the day.

Now your being silly. What happened when England won the Ashes in 2005. Everyone wanted to watch Sky. Thus far the US Open is where GB has had the greater junior success. Murray's best chance of a Slam will be the US Open.

Like I said earlier, greater coverage does not make for better viewing. BBC have it down to a T because with Queens it is much better to make better analysis. ITV would not have any rights to other events and replays of previous years does not constitute productive analysis. That's why I will be watching the BBC for Euro 2012. That's why the Open is such a good watch with the Scottish Open a week before.

Take RG. The commentators and pundits have spoke about Madrid/Monte Carlo/Barcelona. Now it is all well dropping names, but without any coverage to back their claims makes the analysis weak. That is why Sky kicks the arse of BBC/ITV when it comes to such events.