LONDON(AP) The ATP and WTA tours will offer fans the chance to see more professional tennis matches live on the Internet this year - for a price.
The men's and women's professional tours announced the creation of TennisTV.com on Tuesday, offering streaming video from 41 events, including the Masters series and the season-ending championships but excluding the four Grand Slam tournaments.
Not everyone around the world, however, will be able to purchase a pass to the site. The WTA is excluding users in all European countries and some others, while the ATP is not offering the live service in Brazil, according to the Web site.
The men's and women's finals of this year's Sony Ericsson Open in Key Biscayne, Fla., will also be blacked out in the United States.
Where it is available, subscribers will be charged $129.95 for a full access pass to the season. A men's pass runs $84.95, and a women's pass costs $69.95. Viewers can also purchase day or tournament-specific passes for lower prices.
This is an incredibly exciting time for the future of tennis viewing,'' WTA president Stacey Allaster said in a statement.For the first time we will be able to deliver live broadcast quality matches from both tours' top level tournaments to online audiences around the world.''
Overall, the two tours plan to provide eligible fans with access to about 700 live streaming matches, interviews and matches on demand. Coverage will start with this week's Sydney International in Australia.
Last year, the WTA Tour's Web site broadcast a live women's match - in select countries - for free for the first time. The live feed of the Pacific Life Open final was not available to users in the United States, Japan, Hong Kong, Australia or any country in Europe.
Besides Europe, WTA matches on TennisTV.com will also be excluded from viewers in Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Syria and Tunisia. Also, the Sydney International won't be shown in Australia.
Despite charging to watch live matches in 2009, TennisTV.com will offer highlights from both tours for free.
Tennis fans are changing the way they view the sport and we need to ensure we change with them,'' ATP media CEO Steve Plasto said.This is the place to watch live and on demand tennis online.''