Is it really that popular?

Personally I don't watch or follow tennis for the rest of the year. I don't know who most of the players are and there are no english for me to support. Consequently I haven't watched a single minute.
 
Wimbledon fortnight.
Does it really need all that tv coverage?
Or is it all the BBC can afford these days?

I suppose they have got the rights and they have the cameras there so they may as well broadcast as much as they can as it fills up the schedules. I think the fact that through marketing it well and it being on BBC every summer for 2 weeks since god was a lad, its become a British institution. Hence the fact people will watch it, many who will never watch another another tennis tournament all year. And a bit of British success recently, when for most peoples lives we have not really had any, doesn't hurt.
 
It is the worlds largest and most prestigious tennis tournament. I for one am glad it gets the coverage it deserves. Just a shame the Beeb have let a number of other sporting occasions slip through their fingers.

Would you be moaning if they showed all 4 days of the open?
 
Can't say I'm glued to it but I really enjoy what I do watch. Have seen some really good matches on across tea time after work.....much better entertainment than the normal news + soaps in the 6-8pm slot. It certainly deserves the coverage every bit as much as that other minority spectator sport - golf.
 
I suppose they have got the rights and they have the cameras there so they may as well broadcast as much as they can as it fills up the schedules. I think the fact that through marketing it well and it being on BBC every summer for 2 weeks since god was a lad, its become a British institution. Hence the fact people will watch it, many who will never watch another another tennis tournament all year. And a bit of British success recently, when for most peoples lives we have not really had any, doesn't hurt.

Agree with all this.

People like to get their tennis t-shirts out for two weeks then pack it all away from the rest of the year.


C'mon Timmmmmmmmmm etc
 
Not at all, but this is for two weeks and on both channels for much of it.
I just wondered if it was that popular?

Well the Murray final in 2013 drew the biggest TV audience of that year. So I suppose the answer to that when a Brit is doing well is yes.
 
I am a little biased I guess as I played tennis for about 10 years before I found golf. It's an amazing tournament, considered by most top players as "the one to win" you can't get a ticket for love nor money and most of us are sports lovers and with the BBC barely showing any live sport it's surely far better viewing than Eastenders!! When I played I was able to get tickets through the LTA and it's a wonderful day out to be only yards from the best players in the world and experience it live but, let's be fair, it is one sport that the Beeb does cover well
 
It is one of the protected jewels so it doesn't really cost them that much. If they were really committed to tennis then they would show other tournaments, not just bits of lead up tournaments to Wimbledon, but that is not the BBC way anymore. They seem to want to cherry pick odd very large sporting events and clearly someone within the BBC is a big F1 fan.

They do a very good job with Match of the Day, perhaps they should look at highlight programmes for other sports as well. They can't fight Sky so why not learn to live with them a little smarter?

Do the British public love tennis? For this two weeks only. After that 99.9% forget about it. Personally it bores me rigid. I can not bear the grunting and poor quality of the womens game, sorry but look back at every tournament and list the best matches, look at the best passing shots, count the unforced errors. The mens game is better but I still can not get excited by it. I get enough sport on Sky though so for those that do care I am pleased for them that is available. Having a good mix of sports is important.
 
The grunting should have been banned some years ago but I really think the ladies game is hugely better than ever and there have been some really watchable games this year. I like the fact that the likes of Heather Watson don't respect the likes of Serena enough to roll over and go out with a game plan to keep rallies short and go all out for winners
 
The grunting i can understand, but seriously? have you watched actually it?!


Occasionally and I stand by my view. I think the majority of womens tennis is poor. Way too many unforced errors, too many huge miss-matches. How many classic games are plucked from the womens side? How many ding dong battles have raking passing shots? Too many points are won by a ball going into the net or out of play, ie lost rather than won.
 
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