ESPN Announces Coverage of Australian Open Tennis

Newly minted top-ranked players Angelique Kerber and Andy Murray will lead the women and men's fields at the Australian Open on ESPN TV and WatchESPN from start to finish beginning Sunday, Jan. 15. Over the course of two weeks - culminating with the Women's and Men's Championships on January 28 and 29 - ESPN will present more than 100 hours of live television plus 1,400 on WatchESPN and the ESPN App which covers every singles, doubles and juniors match - more than 600 in total.

Last year at 28, Kerber surprised the tennis world to capture her first two Major titles - the Australian and US Opens - to end the year the No. 1 player in the world. Murray - although a member of the ATP's "Big Four" for many years - won Wimbledon to launch a terrific second half of the year which culminated with his First World Tour Final championship and his first No. 1 ranking.

Highlights:

ESPN2 will present daily, marathon, overnight telecasts from Melbourne (at 7 p.m. ET the first night, thereafter generally at 9 p.m.) through the women's semifinals; later action airs on ESPN.

More than 40 additional hours will be aired on ESPN2 during the afternoon recapping the action from the overnight telecasts.

WatchESPN will offer 1,400 hours starting each day with the first match of each court at 7 p.m. ET (the first 13 days of play). It will also present live the men's, women's and mixed doubles championships and the finals of the boys and girls divisions and of the legends and wheelchair competitions.

Tennis Channel and ESPN's ongoing Grand Slam alliance includes the Australian Open and gives viewers near round-the-clock tournament enjoyment from Melbourne. Each network utilizes its own commentators during its respective coverage and cross-promotes the combined ESPN-Tennis Channel television offerings.

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