Covington Advises USTA in ESPN Broadcast Deal

Covington Advises USTA in ESPN Broadcast Deal

May 17, 2013

WASHINGTON, DC, May 17, 2013 — The United States Tennis Association Incorporated and ESPN, Inc. announced a new 11-year broadcast deal Thursday that calls for telecasting the entire US Open exclusively on ESPN networks starting in 2015. Covington & Burling advised the USTA on the transaction.

Under the agreement, ESPN will become the exclusive domestic television and digital media partner for the US Open. The deal includes 130-plus live hours of television coverage every year from the first serve through the men's finals on ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPN3. In addition to airing SportsCenter throughout the tournament from the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center during the US Open, ESPN will broadcast Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day on the weekend immediately preceding the US Open’s Monday start.

The Washington, D.C.-based Covington team was led by corporate partner Doug Gibson with assistance from corporate associate Stephanie Bignon.