Advanced Television

Eurosport to broadcast Roland Garros in Ultra HD

May 22, 2018

Eurosport says it is taking its coverage of Grand Slam tennis to new heights when it launches a new channel exclusively for the French Open at Roland Garros with every match from the prestigious Philippe Chatrier centre court available in Ultra High Definition, for the very first time.

The channel, available for the duration of the tournament from Sunday May 27th to Sunday June 10th, will be branded Eurosport 4K and available in the UK (via Sky Q and Virgin TV), France (via Canal), Germany (via HD+), Spain (via Orange) and more markets to be confirmed shortly.

For this year’s Roland Garros, Eurosport 4K will only show live action from Philippe Chatrier. It also represents the first time Eurosport has broadcast a live sporting event in Ultra HD in multiple markets at one time following Eurosport Germany’s successful transmission of the Bundesliga fixture between 1 FC Koln and Borussia Dortmund in Ultra HD in February.

“Eurosport has become a byword for innovation and our tennis coverage is no different – we are always looking to push the boundaries to make our coverage more compelling for tennis fans across Europe,” remarked Emir Osmanbegovic, SVP Sports Content and Production at Eurosport. “We have already taken our coverage to a whole new level through short formats such as The Coach which combines analysis and technology through a mixed-reality studio. Eurosport 4K is the most immersive viewing experience available and we are delighted that tennis fans across Europe will be able to experience the drama of Roland Garros in this way.”

“Eurosport always raises its desire for innovation by being at the forefront of the sports coverage,” noted Julien Bergeaud, Senior Vice-Président, Country Manager France and Sports Rights Southern Europe, Discovery/Eurosport. “Having recently launched innovative short formats such as The Coach combining analysis and new technologies in a studio dedicated to augmented reality, we now offer all fans to experience with Eurosport 4K the most immersive visual experience possible and are delighted to offer it to Canal subscribers at one of the most prestigious sports events in the world, the Roland Garros tournament.”

David Bouchier, Chief Digital Entertainment Officer at Virgin Media, said: “I’m very pleased that Virgin TV customers will now see some of the world’s best tennis in stunning Ultra HD – this is over four times clearer than standard HD and brings our viewers right to the court-side to watch the action as if they were actually in the stadium.  Every hard-hitting serve, smash and volley will have never looked or sounded so real.  This announcement is a great moment for Virgin TV and our incredible V6 box and there is more to come so watch this space.”

James Gibbons EVP, General Manager of UK / Ireland, Australia & New Zealand and Head of Commercial Development for EMEA, Discovery, said: “As the number one sport destination in Europe, we are thrilled to deliver this top-tier tennis event in Ultra HD 4K on Virgin Media, bringing our passionate fans even closer to the action and every amazing moment at Roland Garros.”

Eurosport has delivered every Roland Garros since 1989 and this year will show 250 hours of live action across 53 markets on Eurosport, Eurosport.com and the Eurosport app in Europe. Seven-time Grand Slam winner Mats Wilander and former ladies star Barbara Schett will anchor Eurosport’s coverage from Paris.

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