ALL Junior US Open Tennis matches have been pulled off court for at least 40 minutes due to excess heat with a real possibility that this could be extended through the afternoon in NYC. Only play currently in progress, is in the Professional WTA/ATP matches.
Worthwhile looking at Eurosport's schedules in the UK, they've given up for the fortnight of the US Open even ES2 is closing overnight due to the USO rights switch.
They're fortunate to have the Spanish and British Cycling to fill the daytime schedules.
Seems Eurosport aren't broadcasting a lot of the ATP 250 level tennis they had rights to last year also for example Winston-Salem was not shown, and I can't see that St Petersburg coming up will be.
Also to note that as of now there is no confirmed coverage of next weekend's Davis Cup tie which would normally be on the BBC.
UEFA’s Unnecessarily Complicated League, sorry Nations League; starts tomorrow. There was a sort of preview show last night on Sky Sports in which we got a preview of some of the host broadcaster graphics, unsurprisingly built around the flag motif.
So there’s a little known part of the rights arrangement which I’m not sure got trumpeted, but which will become apparent on Tuesday night. In Leagues A and B there are three team groups, and one team won’t have a game in each matchday. And they can play friendlies on those days. But the television rights for those friendlies become part of the UEFA Nations League TV package too!
So Tuesday night will see England v Switzerland (SS Main Event), Poland v Republic of Ireland (SS Mix) and Northern Ireland v Israel (SS Football) all air on Sky Sports. There’s even an actual Nations League game on Sky Sports Premier League (Spain v Croatia).
No doubt plenty of time will be spent by Sky over the next few days explaining the format of this competition...
I'd be amazed if this lasts more than one cycle. Oddity with the highlights to considering the rights are centralised as the BBC have Wales, Scotland and NI highlights and ITV have England highlights.
So Tuesday night will see England v Switzerland (SS Main Event), Poland v Republic of Ireland (SS Mix) and Northern Ireland v Israel (SS Football) all air on Sky Sports. There’s even an actual Nations League game on Sky Sports Premier League (Spain v Croatia).
So presumably they'll make Main Event and PL channels available to those who only subscrible to SS Football?
It really is barmy. How such an hybrid arrangement for Euro 2020 (which itself is a nonsense with it's multi hosting) qualifying ever got past the scrutiny for footballing purposes I'll never understand. It is of course a money raising scheme with it's centralised rights packs. If, as seems likely, some associations rights value reduce significantly then broadcasters will look for economies internationally too this will be the competition to go.
I agree with Brekkie this won't survive, at least in this contrived and convoluted format. A quick fire international series with banding across the UEFA coefficients (say six 8 side groups plus a seventh covering the minnows) would have resolved the perceived issues of meaningless friendlies easily too.
Getting rid of friendlies (and I have watched many a very dull Republic of Ireland friendly) was only the secondary benefit. The real intention was to complete the centralisation of TV rights, which I think is plainly evidenced by the inclusion of the friendlies on Tuesday in this deal.
As for the Nations League, I’m struggling to see a non-US sports competition which has such a complex format. It makes the late not very lamented Anglo Welsh Cup (in rugby) look simple in comparison.
Talking of rugby, Channel 4 conformed they’ve picked up Ireland’s home Autumn internationals (including the summer ones in the run up to the Rugby World Cup next year) for the next four years.
Will Channel 4 bother to send out their own crew to each GP or will they perhaps get Sky to do a programme for them?
That is said to be one of the sticking points. Is also a suggestion the deal may include taking some other Sky Sports events too, though not quite sure what they really have to offer.