Television
Background
- Wimbledon was televised for the first time in 1937, when matches were transmitted by the BBC from Centre Court for up to half an hour each day of the meeting.
- In 1967, Wimbledon provided the first ever colour broadcast in Britain. More than 80 broadcast organisations are on site.
- Approximately 2500 broadcasters work in the Broadcast Centre.
- Nine courts have live television coverage (seven after week one), more than any other Grand Slam.
- Host broadcaster BBC uses nearly 100 cameras around the grounds during The Championships.
- There are positions for 120 commentators on Centre Court alone.
Broadcast strategy
Fees paid by international broadcasters are vital since they help create the annual surplus that is then returned into British tennis at all levels by the Lawn Tennis Association.
As important to the All England Club is to carry Wimbledon to as large an audience as possible, which is why, in most parts of the world, the Club aims to place at least part of The Championships on national, free-to-air television.
Broadcasters are approached on a country-by-country basis with agreements designed to satisfy both cable and satellite, and terrestrial broadcasters.
Host broadcaster - the BBC
The BBC is the host broadcaster, as well as the UK rights holder, acting for more than 40 other international networks in what has become the largest annual broadcast operation in the world.
Coverage in 2012
- 198 broadcast territories, increased from 189 in 2011
- Global TV Audience (in viewing hours) of 869 million
- Peak UK audience of 16.9m, the highest audience figure since 17.3m for the 1980 final between Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe
- Total 15+minute reach was 35.5m, or 62% of the UK population, the highest figure since 2003 when 36m (66%) watched Roger Federer win his first Wimbledon title.
- ESPN received an average rating of 2.9 for its first year of exclusive coverage. ESPN peaked at 4.1 during the Federer v Murray final, beating the previous best rating for tennis.
- Coverage broadcast into 189 countries and territories around the world
- Overall Wimbledon.com Unique Users – 16.9m
- Mobile App Downloads - 1.5million
Contracted broadcasters for 2012
| EUROPE | |
| UK | BBC TV |
| BBC Radio | |
| BBC International | |
| BBC Five Live | |
| BBC Sports Xtra | |
| BBC Radio 1 | |
| BBC Online | |
| BBC Sport Interactive | |
| London Live | |
| BBC World Service | |
| BBC News/Nations & Regions | |
| AELTC World Feed | |
| Global Radio | |
| Live @Wimbledon | |
| David Luddy International | |
| Sky News Radio | |
Albania | Supersport |
| Austria | ORF Radio |
| Belgium | VRT VRT Radio VTM (VMMA) RTBF TV RTBF Radio RTL (clt Ufa) |
| Cyprus | Lumiere TV |
| Czech Rep | Novasports (ARQ) Czech Radio |
| Denmark | DR Radio TV2 |
| France | Canal+ RMC RTL Europe 1 Radio France |
| Georgia | GMG Georgia Sport |
| Germany | ARD Radio Journal Euro Sky Deutschland |
| Greece | Nova (Grece & Cyprus) |
| Hungary | Digi Sport |
| Ireland | TG4 |
| Israel | Sports Channel (Sport 5) |
| Italy | Sky Italia |
| Malta | Go Multiplus |
| Netherlands | Sport 1 NOS TV BNR |
| Poland | Polsat Polish Radio |
| Portugal | Sport TV Digi Sport Romania |
| Russia | NTV Plus |
| Serbia | B92 |
| Balkans | Sportklub/IKO |
| Spain | Prisa TV (Canal + /Sogecable) Onda Cero Cadena Cope Talk Radio Europe |
| Sweden | TV4 (C More) Sveriges Radio AB/Swedish Radio |
| Switzerland | SRG/SSR TV (includes RTS, RSI, SRF) SRG Radio (includes DRS, SR) Radio Chablais |
| Turkey | Media Eye |
| REST OF WORLD | |
| Asia | Star Sports Beijing TV Guagdong TV Sohu TV |
| Australia | Fox Sports Channel 7 Cross Court Australian Broadcasting Corporation Radio 2UE Australian News Network Paul Walsh Media Services1116 SEN/BAP Communications |
| Canada | TSN Canada |
| China | China Radio International |
| Fiji | Fiji TV |
| Japan | NHK Gaora Wowow |
| Latin America | ESPN Int |
| Middle East | ADMC |
| South Africa | Supersport SAFM |
| Thailand | Quu FM Sport |
| USA | ESPN Tennis Channel ABC Sports Radio KFWB |
