From Streaming to OTA – Tennis Fans Have Options
In recent years, it has become incredibly difficult to watch Tennis on broadcast television. There was once a time when CBS and NBC would air all the major tournaments and fans could pop an antenna on their TV and tune into the action; but sadly, the migration to cable TV has sabotaged that old joy.
For those with more money than sense, the solution may be to simply pay for a hefty cable subscription. After all, what’s a few extra dollars if you can watch the Williams sisters dominate the competition at the French Open? However, if you’re like me, then you want to avoid unnecessarily paying for things you don’t need.
While days past have been cruel to cord cutting tennis fans, the tide is quickly turning. Recent developments in the world of streaming services have upset the balance and now the power of choice rests firmly in the hands of cord cutters seeking a cable TV alternative .
If you are a tennis fan longing to break away from the tyrannical grip of big cable, take heart; because today I’m going to show you how watching tennis without cable is possible! So without further ado, let’s get started.
2015 Tennis Schedule
ESPN offers a very robust Tennis Schedule, though it does not provide actual broadcast channels / mediums. More details on these specific events will need to be researched on a case by case basis.
Beyond this, there are 3 main tennis events that remaining in 2015:
- French Open >> May 24-June 7, 2015 in Paris, France
- Wimbledon >> June 29-July 12, 2105 in Wimbledon, England
- US Open >> August 31-Sept 13, 2015 in Flushing Meadows, New York
Over-the-Air (OTA)
As I said before, long ago you used to be able to get most of your tennis fix from watching OTA television; which is just a fancy way of saying using an antenna to pick up the free signal transmitted by broadcast networks.
While purchasing an antenna, like the Mohu Leaf, is be a great idea if you love hours of free entertainment and the best shows on television; if you’re looking for a plethora of tennis matches, you’ll be sorely disappointed. Most tennis broadcasts have moved on to cable television; with the only exception being the French Open on NBC. That being said times are changing quickly and I would not be surprised at all to see more events hit the major broadcast channels over the coming months.
It’s not an ideal situation, but if you’re hard up for tennis you always have NBC to fall back on.
Sling TV
While Sling TV may fall short of being considered a complete cable TV alternative, one thing the over-the-top streaming service does excel at is sports. For $20 a month, you get Sling TV’s “Best of Live TV” package which, among other things, includes ESPN and ESPN 2.
ESPN has always been a leader in sports; and tennis is no difference. ESPN broadcasts complete coverage of Wimbledon, the Australian Open, and The Championships.
You get early coverage of the French Open, the US Open, the American ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournaments, the US Open Series, and the American WTP Premier.
Also, ESPN gives you access to the ATP World Finals as well as the WTA Tour Championship on ESPN 3; which does not require a subscription to Sling TV.
As far as tennis goes, Sling and ESPN have got you covered.
Tennis Channel Plus
Taking a hint from CBS and HBO, the Tennis Channel now offers a subscription based streaming plan. For $70 a year, you get access to coverage of over 45 tennis tournaments; the French Open included. Most of the matches won’t include heavy hitters, but for die-hards of the sport it won’t matter.
No other option out there gives you access to more tennis than Tennis Channel Plus. You may not be able to stream the Wimbledon finals, but if you have Sling TV that won’t matter quite as much. Tennis Channel Plus isn’t for everyone; but if you can’t get enough tennis, then it is well worth the price.
As we have seen today, you can have a huge selection of tennis at your finger-tips without ever having to sign up for cable. Cable companies like to hide your options from you so that you come to rely on them; but thankfully that doesn’t have to happen.
So what are you waiting for?
Why pay thousands of dollars every year, only to get the same content that others get for a fraction of the price? Stop waiting for a sign; take the leap, cut the cord, and kill the cable bill today!
Dave Kennedy is a long time cord cutter who became increasingly frustrated with the high cost of Cable TV and decided to make a stance. In 2011 he launched KilltheCableBill.com, a site dedicated to helping people save money through providing simple, cost-effective cable TV alternatives. Since then, David has helped 1,000s of people cancel their cable subscription while keeping the shows they love.
I watched Wimbledon via the ESPN app which plays on both my Amazon Fire and Roku 3. Yes, I own two streaming boxes because they both have different compatibility and do different things well. So I switch between the two.
The ESPN app actually gives me far more choices for tennis, and some of its streams are ad free. Yesterday, I watched a clay court match in Germany. Try getting that with your cable bundle, without paying a premium.
Incidentally, I made the decision to cut cable even though my OTA signals are blocked by mountain ranges. I nevertheless feel as though I’ve lost very little, and gained a whole lot.