Wimbledon, one of the most prestigious tennis tournaments in the world, has a long and storied history on American television. For decades, NBC was synonymous with Wimbledon coverage, creating traditions like "Breakfast at Wimbledon" that became integral to the viewing experience for many U.S. fans. However, the landscape of sports broadcasting is dynamic, and even long-standing partnerships can evolve, leading to significant shifts in how major events
are presented to the public.
NBC's Enduring Legacy with Wimbledon
NBC began broadcasting The Championships, Wimbledon, in 1969. Initially, their coverage involved same-day taped and often edited broadcasts of the Gentlemen's Singles Final. Over the years, the scope of their coverage expanded. By July 8, 1978, NBC aired 6.5 hours of taped delayed coverage, which included both the ladies' and gentlemen's finals. Notably, the ladies' final, played on July 7, was tape-delayed by a full day, while the gentlemen's final was shown on same-day tape delay. Jim Simpson hosted this coverage, joined by Hilary Hilton during the Woman's Final.
One of the most cherished aspects of NBC's Wimbledon coverage for Americans was the "Breakfast at Wimbledon" specials. These weekend broadcasts, which started early in the morning due to the five-hour time difference between the U.S. Eastern Time Zone and the United Kingdom, provided live coverage that continued well into the afternoon. Live coverage for the men's rounds began in 1979, and for the women's in 1982, under the guidance of NBC Sports executive producer Don Ohlmeyer and associate producer Bob Basche. These specials were enriched with commentary and interviews from figures like Bud Collins, whose tennis insights and distinctive patterned trousers were well-known to U.S. tennis fans. Dick Enberg, the network's primary host for many years, called his 28th and final Wimbledon for NBC in 1999, and his final one overall in 2011, often concluding the event with thematic observations and video montages.
Frustrations and the Shift to ESPN
Despite its long history, NBC's approach to Wimbledon coverage eventually led to frustrations from the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club (AELTC). Concerns arose regarding NBC's policy of waiting to begin its quarterfinal and semifinal coverage until after the conclusion of the *Today* show at 10 a.m. local time. Furthermore, NBC broadcast live only to the Eastern Time Zone, utilizing tape-delay for all other time zones. The network also had a practice of holding over high-profile matches for delayed broadcast within its designated window, sometimes irrespective of ongoing live matches.
A particularly notable incident occurred in 2009 when ESPN2's live coverage of the Tommy Haas-Novak Djokovic quarterfinal was forced off the air nationwide because it ran past 10 a.m. Eastern. NBC then showed the conclusion of this match on tape, but only after first presenting the previous Ivo Karlović-Roger Federer quarterfinal in its entirety. These issues contributed to a changing relationship between NBC and Wimbledon.
The End of an Era and New Beginnings
The 2011 tournament marked the 43rd and final year of NBC's Wimbledon coverage. NBC issued a statement confirming it had been outbid for the rights to future broadcasts. Consequently, beginning with the 2012 tournament, all live coverage moved exclusively to ESPN. This transition made Wimbledon the second tennis Grand Slam event, after the Australian Open, to air live coverage in the United States exclusively on pay television. While replays of the tournament finals have since aired on broadcast network ABC, live Wimbledon matches have made a return to broadcast television, with ABC televising middle weekend matches since 2022. This shift underscores the evolving nature of sports media rights and the increasing prominence of cable and specialized sports networks in delivering comprehensive tournament coverage.
