Satellite provider Dish Network has signed a deal with the Tennis Channel to broadcast this year’s French Open in an interactive format, allowing viewers to watch simultaneous matches on one screen with an option to select any match for single viewing.
Dish Network customers with an interactive TV receiver can tune to DishHOME, on channel 100, at 5 a.m. EST through Sunday to access six simultaneous matches. Users also can decide to focus on one match while receiving updates from the others.
“During a prestigious event like the French Open, fans can feel out of the loop when watching only one game at a time,” Dish Network executive vice president of commercial and business services Michael Kelly said. “Together with Tennis Channel, DishHOME offers fans a way to instantaneously keep tabs on different matches, watch their favorite pros and stay close to the tournament action.”
“One of the unique qualities of professional tennis is the number of simultaneous matches at any given tournament,” said Victoria Quoss, Tennis Channel executive VP of programming and network strategy. “Because of this, tennis … is a driver of multi-signal interactive applications, keeping audiences engaged and preventing them from switching the channel. DishHOME’s interactive mosaic channel lets Tennis Channel viewers select the matches they want to watch during our coverage and, in doing so, helps us to further evolve the way U.S. audiences experience Grand Slam tennis on TV.”
The French Open continues through June 8 in Paris.