Shortly after news broke that ESPN was close to acquiring the Wimbledon television right, NBC confirmed that the network will no longer carry the event. According to John Ourand of the Sports Business Journal, NBC issued the following statement:
ESPN Will Acquire Wimbledon Television Rights, NBC Confirms
We are proud of our 43-year partnership with the All England Club and while we would have liked to have continued our relationship, we were simply outbid.”
Ourand also reports several details leading up to this decision. NBC’s last proposal included coverage on multiple platforms and would have had the network show all the matches live starting in 2014. One other competitor for the Wimbledon television rights was Fox, but ESPN’s bid won out after it reportedly offered around $400 million for at least the next decade.
An official announcement could come this week.
For more on the 2011 Wimbledon tournament and the world of tennis, visit SB Nation’s tennis hub and The Daily Forehand.
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