NEW NETWORK: TENNIS, ANYONE? FREE PREVIEW WILL PIT WILLIAMS SISTERS VS. CZECH TEAM.Byline: Greg Hernandez Staff Writer After several delays, The Tennis Channel is set to serve up some programming on May 15 with live coverage of a men's tournament in Hamburg, Germany, organizers announced Tuesday. The 24-hour network will devote 1,000 hours to tennis competition each year, hoping to capitalize on Cap´i`tal`ize on` v. t. 1. To turn (an opportunity) to one's advantage; to take advantage of (a situation); to profit from; as, to capitalize on an opponent's mistakes s>. the crossover appeal of superstar sisters Serena and Venus Williams Venus Ebone Starr Williams (born June 17, 1980 in Lynwood, California) is an American professional tennis player. She has been ranked the world's No. 1 female tennis player. As of July 2007, she is the reigning Wimbledon ladies' singles champion. , tennis legends Andre Agassi Andre Kirk Agassi (born April 29 1970, in Las Vegas, Nevada) is a former World No. 1 professional tennis player from the United States who won eight Grand Slam singles tournaments and an Olympic gold medal in singles. and Pete Sampras Peter “Pete” Sampras (born 12 August 1971), is a former World No. 1 tennis player from the United States. During his 15-year career he won a record 14 Grand Slam men's singles titles in 52 appearances. Sampras finished as No. and rising star Andy Roddick, among others. ``The viewers who look for great competition will be very, very excited about what the tennis channel is offering,'' Tennis Channel Chairman and CEO (1) (Chief Executive Officer) The highest individual in command of an organization. Typically the president of the company, the CEO reports to the Chairman of the Board. David Meister said during a conference call. Meister estimates the channel will have at least 3 million subscribers at the time of its launch and in excess of 10 million to 12 million a year later. Multiyear deals with Time Warner Cable This article or section needs sources or references that appear in reliable, third-party publications. Alone, primary sources and sources affiliated with the subject of this article are not sufficient for an accurate encyclopedia article. , Cox Communications and National Cable Television Cooperative have been struck, representing 47 percent of all cable households. Discussions with other systems are ongoing. It will be up to each individual cable system whether to include the channel as part of basic offerings or as part of a digital sports programming tier. ``The Tennis Channel is staking claim to a specific programming and target audience niche,'' Bob Wilson, vice president of programming for Cox Communications said in a statement. ``We believe it will enhance the value to our customers.'' In addition to major tournaments from both the men's and women's professional tours, team competitions and the year-end men's championships will be broadcast. Two half-hour original series will also be aired: ``No Strings,'' which features behind-the-scenes access to the sport's stars, and ``Center Court with Chris Myers,'' which will showcase in-depth interviews with some of the game's high-profile personalities. A variety of instructional programs, classic matches and lifestyle shows round out the programming slate. Before its formal launch next month, the channel will present a ``sneak preview'' beginning April 26 that will be available free to any cable operator who chooses to run it during a 19-day preview period. The preview period will feature the Fed Cup competition, a women's tournament in which countries compete against each other. The U.S. team, featuring the Williams sisters, will take on the Czech Republic. ``We are watching history unfold with some of the greatest athletes in the history of women's sports being the first players to be broadcast on a network that will revolutionize one of the greatest sports and activities in the world,'' Fed Cup captain Billie Jean King Noun 1. Billie Jean King - United States woman tennis player (born in 1943) Billie Jean Moffitt King, King said in a statement. Agassi and Sampras, winners of the last two grand slam tournaments, are among the investors in the venture and their likeness is featured heavily in promotion and marketing. ``The deals we have with both those guys are beyond financial,'' channel co-founder Steve Bellamy said. ``They are strategic partners and have been doing enormous amounts of good.'' Agassi and Sampras are part of an investor group that also includes Apollo Partners, DND DND Drag and Drop DND Department of National Defence (Canada & Australia) DND Do Not Disturb DND Dungeons and Dragons DND Den Norske Dataforening DND Direct Nanoparticle Deposition DND Drugs for Neglected Diseases Capital Partners LLC (Logical Link Control) See "LANs" under data link protocol. LLC - Logical Link Control , Bain Capital Ventures, Battery Ventures, Columbia Capital, JP Morgan Partners, Waterview Advisors and EdsLink LLC. |
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