Tennis To Air Federer-Sampras MSG Match
Network Will Also Subsequently Stream Exhibition On-Demand
By Mike Reynolds -- Multichannel News, 2/20/2008 10:01:00 AM
Tennis Channel will televise the upcoming exhibition match at New York's Madison Square Gardenbetween world’s No. 1 Roger Federer and the all-time Grand Slam champion Pete Sampras.
Tennis, which also held exclusive U.S. telecast rights to the duo’s three-match tour in Asia last November, will present the NetJets Showdown, produced in association with The Marquis Jet Card and Men’s Vogue, on March 10 from 7:30 p.m. to 10: 30 p.m.
Ted Robinson will supply the play-by-play with John McEnroe providing the analysis. Recently retired Justin Gimelstob will be courtside, chatting it up with the many celebrities expected to be in The Garden that night.
The network, which counts around 20 million subscribers, also will stream the match online at www.tennischannel.com, beginning Monday, March 17.
“Madison Square Garden is the perfect arena for this match between two of the game’s all-time heavyweights, and for their first meeting in the U.S.,” said Tennis executive vice president of programming and network strategy Victoria Quoss in a statement. “Tennis Channel is proud to offer tennis fans the opportunity to see this monumental sports event, the fourth meeting between these two renowned figures.”
Federer, who owns 12 Slams title, is chasing Sampras’ mark of 14. In their only ATP Tour meeting, a young Federer ended Sampras’ 31-match win streak at Wimbledon in a five-setter, 7-6, 5-7, 6-4, 6-7, 7-5.
During their Asian confrontations, Federer won in Seoul and Kuala Lumpur before Sampras closed out the best-of-three series with a victory in Macau.
