1 00:00:00,720 --> 00:00:04,600 Speaker 1: This is Bloomberg Business of Sports. The world changing and 2 00:00:04,640 --> 00:00:06,440 Speaker 1: what are the things we can do to transform a 3 00:00:06,480 --> 00:00:09,559 Speaker 1: business and engage our fans globally in different ways. People 4 00:00:09,600 --> 00:00:12,400 Speaker 1: are using their name and likeness to create more opportunities, 5 00:00:12,480 --> 00:00:15,520 Speaker 1: more states and companies. In order to turn the organization around, 6 00:00:15,560 --> 00:00:17,279 Speaker 1: we had to turn it around not only just on 7 00:00:17,440 --> 00:00:20,959 Speaker 1: baseball operations side, but other business operations side well and 8 00:00:21,079 --> 00:00:23,079 Speaker 1: any other sport is very difficult, but I like to 9 00:00:23,079 --> 00:00:26,560 Speaker 1: plug my horizons and be able to expand. Sports need 10 00:00:26,600 --> 00:00:29,040 Speaker 1: to be consumed a lot and not to a big 11 00:00:29,160 --> 00:00:33,640 Speaker 1: competitive advantage for inaugural property holders of sports content in 12 00:00:33,720 --> 00:00:39,879 Speaker 1: the media landscape. Bloomberg Business of Sports from Bloomberg Radio. Hello, 13 00:00:39,960 --> 00:00:43,040 Speaker 1: I'm Scarlett Foo, and I'm Mike Lynch and I'm Michael Barr. 14 00:00:43,200 --> 00:00:45,920 Speaker 1: Over the next hour, we will explore the big money 15 00:00:45,920 --> 00:00:48,239 Speaker 1: issues in the world of sports and talk to some 16 00:00:48,320 --> 00:00:50,640 Speaker 1: of the biggest players in the industry. Today. We're joined 17 00:00:50,680 --> 00:00:53,599 Speaker 1: by Tennis Channel CEO Ken Solomon. Thank you so much 18 00:00:53,640 --> 00:00:56,720 Speaker 1: for joining us or the Tennis Channel CEO. We are 19 00:00:56,760 --> 00:00:59,040 Speaker 1: more than a year and a half into COVID. I 20 00:00:59,080 --> 00:01:02,560 Speaker 1: can't believe it, but already happened. What kind of viewership 21 00:01:02,680 --> 00:01:07,200 Speaker 1: numbers or habits have you seen that's permanently changed as 22 00:01:07,200 --> 00:01:11,320 Speaker 1: a result in what kind of habits have shifted back 23 00:01:11,360 --> 00:01:14,520 Speaker 1: to what we saw before the pandemic, at least when 24 00:01:14,520 --> 00:01:19,200 Speaker 1: it comes to watching tennis. Well, um boy, that's a 25 00:01:19,240 --> 00:01:21,920 Speaker 1: lot that could take up the whole show. I think 26 00:01:21,959 --> 00:01:24,800 Speaker 1: that in general, is a program a lifelong program or 27 00:01:24,880 --> 00:01:30,160 Speaker 1: viewing habits are still um changed, have still sort of shifted, 28 00:01:30,160 --> 00:01:33,120 Speaker 1: And I'm not sure that going back or that we 29 00:01:33,160 --> 00:01:35,080 Speaker 1: can say anything. I think it's going to take a 30 00:01:35,120 --> 00:01:39,200 Speaker 1: long time. I think there's, like everything, and particularly with programming, 31 00:01:39,200 --> 00:01:45,039 Speaker 1: there's obviously permanent shifts that have happened towards people adopting 32 00:01:45,319 --> 00:01:49,520 Speaker 1: other platforms and multiple platforms as ways to watch, particularly 33 00:01:49,520 --> 00:01:51,880 Speaker 1: when it comes to sports, particularly when it comes to tennis. 34 00:01:51,920 --> 00:01:55,400 Speaker 1: You know, we've been lucky and worked hard ourselves and 35 00:01:55,440 --> 00:01:58,520 Speaker 1: with the tours and the players to keep continuity as 36 00:01:58,600 --> 00:02:01,280 Speaker 1: much as possible. We stayed on the air. You guys 37 00:02:01,320 --> 00:02:04,559 Speaker 1: may know when the when you know, in March back 38 00:02:04,560 --> 00:02:07,240 Speaker 1: in two thousand, when it first hit back at Indian Wells, 39 00:02:07,280 --> 00:02:09,520 Speaker 1: which is really the first big event in the world 40 00:02:09,600 --> 00:02:11,360 Speaker 1: to go down and be the kind of they're in 41 00:02:11,360 --> 00:02:13,519 Speaker 1: the coal mine. We said, we feel it's important to 42 00:02:13,560 --> 00:02:15,520 Speaker 1: stay on the air just to stay connected with people 43 00:02:15,520 --> 00:02:18,200 Speaker 1: and something other than the news and what you bring 44 00:02:18,200 --> 00:02:20,840 Speaker 1: to them, and to give them an escape, and you know, 45 00:02:20,960 --> 00:02:23,960 Speaker 1: learned how to produce differently, and and then came back on, 46 00:02:24,120 --> 00:02:26,080 Speaker 1: you know, in May of that year, and so we 47 00:02:26,080 --> 00:02:31,200 Speaker 1: were able to with you know, socially distance tennis, because 48 00:02:31,240 --> 00:02:33,960 Speaker 1: tennis is pretty socially distant, you know, the people are, 49 00:02:34,040 --> 00:02:38,480 Speaker 1: the players are sixty apart. We created production protocols, so 50 00:02:39,160 --> 00:02:42,600 Speaker 1: the patterns are are sort of all over the place. 51 00:02:42,680 --> 00:02:46,000 Speaker 1: We've had big content changes as well. We've taken over 52 00:02:46,080 --> 00:02:48,720 Speaker 1: both the complete A T P and W T h ours. 53 00:02:49,200 --> 00:02:51,520 Speaker 1: We had, you know, the lion's share of them, but 54 00:02:51,680 --> 00:02:55,520 Speaker 1: candidly didn't have some of the top the finals, semis 55 00:02:55,520 --> 00:02:57,440 Speaker 1: and finals at some of the top events in North 56 00:02:57,480 --> 00:03:01,840 Speaker 1: America Indian Wells, Miami. Since Maddie, we've added all of 57 00:03:01,880 --> 00:03:05,600 Speaker 1: those so that we now have a single brand destination 58 00:03:05,639 --> 00:03:09,680 Speaker 1: across multiple platforms where people could watch. And that's a 59 00:03:09,720 --> 00:03:13,000 Speaker 1: shift that would have happened for us anyway. And so 60 00:03:13,400 --> 00:03:15,440 Speaker 1: there's a lot of moving parts and as you guys know, 61 00:03:15,520 --> 00:03:19,200 Speaker 1: trying to figure out visa v where we are visa 62 00:03:19,280 --> 00:03:21,400 Speaker 1: v where we used to be. We're kind of looking 63 00:03:21,400 --> 00:03:27,440 Speaker 1: ahead and we've done really had remarkable UM advancement in 64 00:03:27,560 --> 00:03:32,640 Speaker 1: terms of numbers and people watching and people using multiple platforms. 65 00:03:32,639 --> 00:03:37,120 Speaker 1: We have tennis. Um, we've launched globally, So it's been 66 00:03:37,120 --> 00:03:39,160 Speaker 1: a it's been like a moving day kind of a 67 00:03:39,240 --> 00:03:42,960 Speaker 1: situation for a while. We chose to try to use 68 00:03:43,240 --> 00:03:45,640 Speaker 1: a sport that people love both to play personally and 69 00:03:45,640 --> 00:03:49,840 Speaker 1: to watch these great pros that were, you know, witnessing 70 00:03:49,880 --> 00:03:52,320 Speaker 1: here in the U s open to take advantage of 71 00:03:52,360 --> 00:03:56,280 Speaker 1: making it better, and I think overall it's been a 72 00:03:56,280 --> 00:04:00,920 Speaker 1: remarkable moment, uh, despite having everybody have to endure something 73 00:04:00,960 --> 00:04:04,400 Speaker 1: no one ever expected. Hey, Ken, it's Mike Lynch up 74 00:04:04,400 --> 00:04:07,920 Speaker 1: in Boston. UM, do you still feel this? Your guys 75 00:04:07,920 --> 00:04:10,560 Speaker 1: that are on site, they still feel the same buzz 76 00:04:10,560 --> 00:04:13,200 Speaker 1: they felt back in ten when they were fans allowed 77 00:04:13,240 --> 00:04:17,560 Speaker 1: there and things were quote unquote normal. Despite all the 78 00:04:17,600 --> 00:04:19,680 Speaker 1: withdrawals and some of the big names that have been 79 00:04:19,760 --> 00:04:23,200 Speaker 1: knocked out of this tournament, Oh goodness. I mean, I 80 00:04:23,240 --> 00:04:26,440 Speaker 1: think anyone who's watched thanks for as I think, Um, 81 00:04:26,480 --> 00:04:28,320 Speaker 1: you know, we've proven a point we've been trying to 82 00:04:28,360 --> 00:04:30,279 Speaker 1: make for a while, but people always think you're just 83 00:04:30,320 --> 00:04:33,120 Speaker 1: trying to make lemonade out of lemons, which is that 84 00:04:33,160 --> 00:04:37,599 Speaker 1: there are so many phenomenal young stars, um, in addition 85 00:04:37,640 --> 00:04:41,880 Speaker 1: to the great you know icons who we've been so 86 00:04:41,960 --> 00:04:45,240 Speaker 1: fortunate to have for the last couple of decades. Uh, 87 00:04:45,279 --> 00:04:48,280 Speaker 1: in the in the big three or four guys include 88 00:04:48,279 --> 00:04:52,960 Speaker 1: Andy Murray and with obviously Roger, Rafa and Novak on 89 00:04:53,000 --> 00:04:54,919 Speaker 1: the men's side and on the women's side, obviously the 90 00:04:54,920 --> 00:04:58,760 Speaker 1: Williams sisters and Reassurepova did not too long ago. But 91 00:04:59,360 --> 00:05:02,719 Speaker 1: you know, I think we have in the last two 92 00:05:02,720 --> 00:05:07,680 Speaker 1: weeks proven what we we know, which is that there 93 00:05:07,680 --> 00:05:11,000 Speaker 1: are so just these amazing talents that we we have 94 00:05:11,240 --> 00:05:14,400 Speaker 1: had and have been seeing. And you know, it's kind 95 00:05:14,400 --> 00:05:16,240 Speaker 1: of tough because on the one hand, we love them 96 00:05:16,279 --> 00:05:19,040 Speaker 1: so much and we hope, we wish they could play forever, 97 00:05:19,160 --> 00:05:21,760 Speaker 1: and sometimes it feels like they can, you know, with 98 00:05:21,960 --> 00:05:26,280 Speaker 1: Roger and uh, you know, passing forty. But when you 99 00:05:26,360 --> 00:05:28,840 Speaker 1: have the likes of you know, just what's gone on 100 00:05:28,880 --> 00:05:30,640 Speaker 1: in this event and I won't go down the mall 101 00:05:30,800 --> 00:05:34,520 Speaker 1: right now. UM, I think we've shown that the excitement 102 00:05:34,520 --> 00:05:37,560 Speaker 1: and the enthusiasm for young players and the new players. 103 00:05:38,200 --> 00:05:41,360 Speaker 1: Um is something that we've needed, this fresh new blood 104 00:05:41,400 --> 00:05:45,440 Speaker 1: for a while. It's attracting younger audiences. Our audiences have 105 00:05:45,440 --> 00:05:49,240 Speaker 1: have continued to get younger and not to the exclusion 106 00:05:49,320 --> 00:05:53,200 Speaker 1: of of of of older audiences. And it's all that 107 00:05:53,320 --> 00:05:56,400 Speaker 1: we want. So we you know, with a hundred men 108 00:05:56,400 --> 00:05:58,960 Speaker 1: and a hundred and twenty eight women, there never fails 109 00:05:59,000 --> 00:06:00,839 Speaker 1: to be just in the single straw alone, not to 110 00:06:00,880 --> 00:06:04,880 Speaker 1: mention doubles, there never fails to be amazing storylines that 111 00:06:04,960 --> 00:06:09,400 Speaker 1: capture people's imaginations, whether it's Francis Tiapo or now f 112 00:06:09,440 --> 00:06:13,479 Speaker 1: A a um Or or I mean, I go down 113 00:06:13,480 --> 00:06:17,320 Speaker 1: the list, it's it's quite extensive. And obviously Layla Fernandez 114 00:06:17,640 --> 00:06:21,320 Speaker 1: has burst on the scene. And but it's a long 115 00:06:21,360 --> 00:06:24,760 Speaker 1: list of exciting personality. So we we relish the chance 116 00:06:24,839 --> 00:06:26,600 Speaker 1: to bring them to the fore and have people like, 117 00:06:27,160 --> 00:06:30,920 Speaker 1: you know, a broader, wider funnel discover these new talents. 118 00:06:31,560 --> 00:06:34,159 Speaker 1: I want to expand on that, because Ken, it isn't 119 00:06:34,279 --> 00:06:41,000 Speaker 1: just seeing the the people the household names that aren't there. Also, 120 00:06:41,200 --> 00:06:45,200 Speaker 1: this is the first US Open for singles men or 121 00:06:45,279 --> 00:06:49,560 Speaker 1: women where there is not a US player in the 122 00:06:49,600 --> 00:06:54,040 Speaker 1: tournament semifinals on and but it doesn't seem to make 123 00:06:54,080 --> 00:06:58,320 Speaker 1: a difference because tennis is an international sport and everybody 124 00:06:58,400 --> 00:07:02,080 Speaker 1: just wants to see good tennis. Yeah, I agree, Michael. 125 00:07:02,080 --> 00:07:05,840 Speaker 1: I mean this has also been one of our um 126 00:07:05,960 --> 00:07:07,760 Speaker 1: you know, the trumpets that we have blown for a 127 00:07:07,800 --> 00:07:10,520 Speaker 1: long time. When when you're called Tennis Channel and you 128 00:07:10,600 --> 00:07:12,640 Speaker 1: do it twenty four hours a day, seven days a week, 129 00:07:12,680 --> 00:07:15,480 Speaker 1: and we're not changing our name. Uh, We're gonna be 130 00:07:15,480 --> 00:07:19,360 Speaker 1: doing this forever. You We have been asked since you know, 131 00:07:19,440 --> 00:07:24,040 Speaker 1: for seventeen years, well, g don't you wish? And tennis 132 00:07:24,120 --> 00:07:28,800 Speaker 1: has always had stars that that transcend borders. You know. 133 00:07:29,040 --> 00:07:31,200 Speaker 1: I can go back to growing up from bjord Borg 134 00:07:31,280 --> 00:07:34,040 Speaker 1: and Rod labored, you know it, and there were Americans 135 00:07:34,040 --> 00:07:37,320 Speaker 1: mixed in there, and you know, once you know who 136 00:07:37,360 --> 00:07:39,960 Speaker 1: a personality is. I don't think anybody's looking at Layla 137 00:07:40,040 --> 00:07:43,440 Speaker 1: Fernandez and going God if she was only Americans Canadian 138 00:07:43,880 --> 00:07:47,440 Speaker 1: despite the heritage of her parents, um or for that matter. 139 00:07:47,520 --> 00:07:51,200 Speaker 1: Naomi Osaka has obviously had some troubles in the near term, 140 00:07:51,240 --> 00:07:53,480 Speaker 1: but you have no doubt will be back. I mean, 141 00:07:53,560 --> 00:07:58,040 Speaker 1: Naomi Shure is taking Japan as her home. Her father's Haitian, 142 00:07:58,520 --> 00:08:00,360 Speaker 1: but she's lived in the United States that if you 143 00:08:00,400 --> 00:08:02,640 Speaker 1: listen to her, it's hard to imagine her as being 144 00:08:02,680 --> 00:08:06,080 Speaker 1: something else. So I I really think that it for us, 145 00:08:06,120 --> 00:08:09,040 Speaker 1: it's all about galvanizing the personalities, and once you do, 146 00:08:09,600 --> 00:08:13,520 Speaker 1: country is fun but less important. It's an important identifier 147 00:08:13,520 --> 00:08:16,880 Speaker 1: if you don't know somebody. I'm so glad you bring 148 00:08:16,960 --> 00:08:19,320 Speaker 1: up some of these big names like Naomi Osaka UM. 149 00:08:19,400 --> 00:08:21,320 Speaker 1: Michael Barr and I were just talking about how we 150 00:08:21,360 --> 00:08:24,280 Speaker 1: read this article in the New York Times about how UM, 151 00:08:24,320 --> 00:08:27,960 Speaker 1: despite all this love for tennis, the pros who play 152 00:08:27,960 --> 00:08:31,840 Speaker 1: in tennis UM are often miserable. Naomi Osaka has made 153 00:08:31,960 --> 00:08:35,360 Speaker 1: really clear her struggles with depression mental health byarm Borg 154 00:08:35,720 --> 00:08:38,720 Speaker 1: back in the day, Um quit tennis completely after losing 155 00:08:38,720 --> 00:08:41,200 Speaker 1: his fourth US Open final. Stephie Graft quit at age 156 00:08:41,240 --> 00:08:44,240 Speaker 1: thirty after winning the French Open title and a Wimbledon final. 157 00:08:44,679 --> 00:08:48,280 Speaker 1: UM players like Paul Budosa speak of depression. From where 158 00:08:48,320 --> 00:08:51,040 Speaker 1: you sit, Ken, why do you think this is and 159 00:08:51,240 --> 00:08:58,640 Speaker 1: how does it ultimately infuse or affect your content? Well, UM, 160 00:08:58,679 --> 00:09:01,200 Speaker 1: I think that again, what you have is such a 161 00:09:01,200 --> 00:09:05,600 Speaker 1: broad rainbow of personalities who play the game. You're talking 162 00:09:05,640 --> 00:09:09,640 Speaker 1: about hundreds and hundreds of individuals. And I mean, I 163 00:09:09,679 --> 00:09:11,600 Speaker 1: think one of the reasons you guys tell me that 164 00:09:11,640 --> 00:09:14,119 Speaker 1: we love sports so much is because it's a reflection 165 00:09:14,160 --> 00:09:18,959 Speaker 1: of real life amplified. And that's not just a quaint colloquialism. 166 00:09:19,040 --> 00:09:25,000 Speaker 1: You can see the difficulties and the great benefits of 167 00:09:25,080 --> 00:09:27,800 Speaker 1: life played out on a court within you know, three 168 00:09:27,880 --> 00:09:32,280 Speaker 1: or five sets or less. And so you know it 169 00:09:32,480 --> 00:09:37,120 Speaker 1: is not easy, as is life not easy to six 170 00:09:37,480 --> 00:09:40,920 Speaker 1: to succeed or fail to have expectations placed upon you. 171 00:09:41,640 --> 00:09:45,839 Speaker 1: Um tennis is particularly rigorous. It is an individual sport, 172 00:09:45,880 --> 00:09:48,920 Speaker 1: as you guys know, where you are centrally out there 173 00:09:48,960 --> 00:09:52,600 Speaker 1: on your own. And as you know, we have this 174 00:09:53,480 --> 00:09:56,040 Speaker 1: film we made called Strokes of Genius with rough about 175 00:09:56,120 --> 00:10:00,720 Speaker 1: Rafael Ladell, Roger Federer and and or about their care 176 00:10:00,920 --> 00:10:06,160 Speaker 1: their rivalry, and in it, you know, Rafa closes out 177 00:10:06,280 --> 00:10:09,960 Speaker 1: the whole film by saying, you know, we play this 178 00:10:10,040 --> 00:10:13,760 Speaker 1: game and we win and we lose, and you're going 179 00:10:13,800 --> 00:10:16,280 Speaker 1: to lose more than you're going to win, and you 180 00:10:16,360 --> 00:10:18,560 Speaker 1: have to learn how to do that, and you have 181 00:10:18,640 --> 00:10:22,520 Speaker 1: to learn how to you know, be able to take 182 00:10:22,600 --> 00:10:24,640 Speaker 1: that and turn that into a positive that they're a 183 00:10:24,679 --> 00:10:27,760 Speaker 1: hundred eight men eight women and in the last two weeks. 184 00:10:27,760 --> 00:10:30,120 Speaker 1: I know, I keep saying it, A hundred and twenty 185 00:10:30,120 --> 00:10:32,280 Speaker 1: seven are not going to do what they set out 186 00:10:32,320 --> 00:10:35,240 Speaker 1: to do. And that is something that you have to 187 00:10:35,280 --> 00:10:38,760 Speaker 1: deal with when you're a high performing athlete um as 188 00:10:38,760 --> 00:10:40,959 Speaker 1: well as a human being. And I think we forget, 189 00:10:41,160 --> 00:10:43,400 Speaker 1: you know, for all that's gone on with Naomi Osaka, 190 00:10:43,960 --> 00:10:48,520 Speaker 1: She's twenty four years old. Layla Fernandez is eighteen years old, 191 00:10:48,720 --> 00:10:50,520 Speaker 1: and you know, I look at her. I have socks 192 00:10:50,520 --> 00:10:54,800 Speaker 1: older than Leyla, uh there, and they're and she is amazing, 193 00:10:54,960 --> 00:10:57,680 Speaker 1: you know, and she will who knows what burdens will 194 00:10:57,679 --> 00:11:00,679 Speaker 1: be placed on her because of her six Paul Badoza 195 00:11:00,880 --> 00:11:05,439 Speaker 1: is an amazing human being. We all struggle, I think 196 00:11:05,520 --> 00:11:08,240 Speaker 1: with the kind of things that we hear from them. 197 00:11:08,400 --> 00:11:11,559 Speaker 1: They have an amplification and the beauty of what we're 198 00:11:11,600 --> 00:11:14,480 Speaker 1: able to do, at least as Tennis Channel, is to 199 00:11:14,559 --> 00:11:17,679 Speaker 1: tell their stories in their voice as they would like. 200 00:11:17,920 --> 00:11:20,800 Speaker 1: We don't need to just have the temporal moment of 201 00:11:21,000 --> 00:11:24,080 Speaker 1: the open to be able to explore these themes and 202 00:11:24,120 --> 00:11:28,680 Speaker 1: help people work through them. Ken who does that better 203 00:11:28,720 --> 00:11:30,880 Speaker 1: than anyone on the tour right now? Turning a negative 204 00:11:30,920 --> 00:11:37,040 Speaker 1: into a positive. Oh boy, um, I it's I think 205 00:11:37,080 --> 00:11:38,960 Speaker 1: so many of the players on the to that he 206 00:11:39,040 --> 00:11:42,960 Speaker 1: is the definition of of how you succeed, you know, 207 00:11:43,000 --> 00:11:47,000 Speaker 1: the short memory, the taking the negative. I mean, I 208 00:11:47,080 --> 00:11:50,560 Speaker 1: it's hard not to think again of Ratha just because 209 00:11:50,600 --> 00:11:52,800 Speaker 1: it's it's so clear, you know. And and the best 210 00:11:52,960 --> 00:11:57,400 Speaker 1: little example of that is when he loses, when he 211 00:11:57,440 --> 00:12:01,480 Speaker 1: gets broken, when his serve is broken. His his breakback 212 00:12:01,559 --> 00:12:04,880 Speaker 1: percentage is you know, high eighties or I forgot the 213 00:12:04,920 --> 00:12:07,760 Speaker 1: actual number, so call it nine out of ten times. 214 00:12:07,800 --> 00:12:10,800 Speaker 1: What someone breaks him, which is obviously not easy to do, 215 00:12:11,520 --> 00:12:14,600 Speaker 1: he breaks them right back. That is that can only 216 00:12:14,720 --> 00:12:19,199 Speaker 1: be taking the the energy that just caused you to 217 00:12:20,360 --> 00:12:23,960 Speaker 1: essentially fail at what you attempted to do. And and 218 00:12:24,120 --> 00:12:25,839 Speaker 1: um and turn it around, I'll tell you. I mean, 219 00:12:25,880 --> 00:12:28,000 Speaker 1: let's just talk about right now because we're living in 220 00:12:28,040 --> 00:12:30,559 Speaker 1: the moment. And that's the beauty of sports as well, 221 00:12:30,600 --> 00:12:33,480 Speaker 1: and certainly the beauty of tennis, which is always on 222 00:12:34,240 --> 00:12:38,080 Speaker 1: from January to December. Uh, Francess Tiafo, you know who 223 00:12:38,520 --> 00:12:42,640 Speaker 1: ultimately aust to Felix org Elisima, who is his good friend. 224 00:12:43,000 --> 00:12:45,200 Speaker 1: But I watched him. You know, here's a young man 225 00:12:45,240 --> 00:12:48,600 Speaker 1: whose parents are here Leoni immigrants and you know who 226 00:12:48,600 --> 00:12:51,880 Speaker 1: lived in College Park and lives in College Park, Maryland, 227 00:12:51,920 --> 00:12:55,559 Speaker 1: just outside of Washington. And that's fabulous facility. Or good 228 00:12:55,600 --> 00:12:57,880 Speaker 1: friend Ray Benton has been a part of forever. And 229 00:12:57,960 --> 00:13:01,040 Speaker 1: you know he was four years old, he is when 230 00:13:01,240 --> 00:13:03,160 Speaker 1: they put a racket in his hand. His father was 231 00:13:03,240 --> 00:13:08,520 Speaker 1: the custodian at the facility. Francis would be down. I 232 00:13:08,640 --> 00:13:11,120 Speaker 1: was at this, you know, court side until prue A 233 00:13:11,760 --> 00:13:15,199 Speaker 1: two thirty in the morning, courtside when he's playing Andre 234 00:13:15,280 --> 00:13:18,680 Speaker 1: rube lev and Andre rube lev Is and a fierce 235 00:13:18,880 --> 00:13:23,360 Speaker 1: competitor and a wonderful young guy. And Francis would get 236 00:13:23,360 --> 00:13:25,880 Speaker 1: down Love thirty on his serve and he thought, oh, 237 00:13:26,000 --> 00:13:29,560 Speaker 1: it's it's end. You know, his momentum has been broken, 238 00:13:29,600 --> 00:13:32,440 Speaker 1: his concentration, it's ended. And he'd take that and turn 239 00:13:32,520 --> 00:13:36,240 Speaker 1: it around and he held on all of those service 240 00:13:36,280 --> 00:13:40,360 Speaker 1: games and ended up ultimately winning. Um Layla Fernandez has 241 00:13:40,400 --> 00:13:42,840 Speaker 1: just shown it. You know again, I we're talking about 242 00:13:42,840 --> 00:13:44,800 Speaker 1: her a lot. I don't want to focus on. And 243 00:13:44,960 --> 00:13:48,160 Speaker 1: there's so many great personalities. That's what they do. That 244 00:13:48,320 --> 00:13:50,720 Speaker 1: is literally what you must do to win this game 245 00:13:51,320 --> 00:13:53,880 Speaker 1: is find another gear. As a great athlete that's a 246 00:13:53,880 --> 00:13:58,319 Speaker 1: great Analysts say, well, there are a lot of stories 247 00:13:58,320 --> 00:14:01,400 Speaker 1: coming out of this US Open, and yep, I'm going there. 248 00:14:01,800 --> 00:14:05,720 Speaker 1: Stefano citypass. Uh. He has whizzed off a lot of 249 00:14:05,720 --> 00:14:10,880 Speaker 1: people because he would take these bathroom breaks in the 250 00:14:10,920 --> 00:14:14,640 Speaker 1: middle of the match and uh, and it is upset 251 00:14:14,760 --> 00:14:19,920 Speaker 1: a lot of his opponents. Can you explain that whole 252 00:14:19,960 --> 00:14:25,400 Speaker 1: controversy and and what will the tennis world do in 253 00:14:25,440 --> 00:14:29,120 Speaker 1: your opinion about this, if they need to do anything 254 00:14:29,120 --> 00:14:34,360 Speaker 1: at all? Yes, Um, Well, first, I think that back 255 00:14:34,440 --> 00:14:37,040 Speaker 1: to the last question, I mean, here is an example 256 00:14:37,240 --> 00:14:41,840 Speaker 1: of what I truly believe. And we know Stefano's very well. Um, 257 00:14:41,880 --> 00:14:47,560 Speaker 1: he's a marvelous person, a warmhearted person, a fierce competitor. 258 00:14:47,680 --> 00:14:49,880 Speaker 1: He has worked hard his whole life to get to 259 00:14:49,920 --> 00:14:53,760 Speaker 1: this moment. And the sort of you know, the white 260 00:14:53,760 --> 00:14:59,720 Speaker 1: hot spotlight has taken something and I think amplified it. Um. 261 00:15:00,000 --> 00:15:02,480 Speaker 1: And you know, public sentiment right now, the thumb is 262 00:15:02,520 --> 00:15:06,760 Speaker 1: pointing down in the gladiatorial arena on what he's been doing. Uh, 263 00:15:06,840 --> 00:15:09,480 Speaker 1: let me break it down for you as I see it, um. 264 00:15:09,640 --> 00:15:12,400 Speaker 1: And I think that that amplification has been a bit 265 00:15:12,440 --> 00:15:15,360 Speaker 1: too much. And we're all jumping on this and and 266 00:15:15,680 --> 00:15:17,600 Speaker 1: I'm not saying we shouldn't talk about it. We should, 267 00:15:17,760 --> 00:15:20,520 Speaker 1: but I want to make sure that we're not just 268 00:15:20,760 --> 00:15:25,280 Speaker 1: repeating assumptions of what others have said. So my understanding 269 00:15:25,280 --> 00:15:27,720 Speaker 1: as I see it is first of all, that I 270 00:15:27,760 --> 00:15:30,040 Speaker 1: think there's a confluence of a couple of different things 271 00:15:30,040 --> 00:15:32,520 Speaker 1: that are being conflated here, and I don't know that 272 00:15:32,560 --> 00:15:37,880 Speaker 1: they've handled it properly in explaining what's going on. Um, 273 00:15:37,920 --> 00:15:39,920 Speaker 1: there is a rule that allows him to do this, 274 00:15:40,080 --> 00:15:45,520 Speaker 1: to take this break, and so let's start with the 275 00:15:45,520 --> 00:15:48,920 Speaker 1: the foul that would be cried as well, you're you're 276 00:15:49,040 --> 00:15:52,040 Speaker 1: you're you're doing a loophole, right, you're taking advantage of 277 00:15:52,080 --> 00:15:57,680 Speaker 1: a rule. Um, that really isn't good sportsmanship. Well, I 278 00:15:58,000 --> 00:16:01,600 Speaker 1: know the post he is a good sportsman. And what 279 00:16:02,240 --> 00:16:07,280 Speaker 1: I have spoken to his teams and he um and 280 00:16:07,320 --> 00:16:10,360 Speaker 1: I know this Stefano's first of all, if you look 281 00:16:10,400 --> 00:16:16,280 Speaker 1: at him, the amazing competitor who has just gone to 282 00:16:16,360 --> 00:16:18,520 Speaker 1: a level in a short period of time that people 283 00:16:18,520 --> 00:16:20,640 Speaker 1: were wondering if he would get to. And he really 284 00:16:20,760 --> 00:16:23,560 Speaker 1: is one of the players who is the young players 285 00:16:23,600 --> 00:16:27,280 Speaker 1: who is in the moment, you know, fighting to to 286 00:16:27,400 --> 00:16:30,600 Speaker 1: see if he and the Vereev and Medvedev and and 287 00:16:30,720 --> 00:16:33,800 Speaker 1: dominic team. Who's on our hair right now is he's injured, 288 00:16:34,160 --> 00:16:37,840 Speaker 1: can be the next the next great champion, are one 289 00:16:37,840 --> 00:16:40,520 Speaker 1: of the next great champions to replace the Rafas and 290 00:16:40,560 --> 00:16:45,400 Speaker 1: the Rodgers and whatnot. Now, he also perspires a lot, 291 00:16:46,320 --> 00:16:51,560 Speaker 1: and he is a very methodical individual um and so 292 00:16:51,720 --> 00:16:55,480 Speaker 1: I know that when he was there is a very 293 00:16:55,760 --> 00:16:58,360 Speaker 1: senior top player on the tour right now who said, 294 00:16:58,360 --> 00:17:01,320 Speaker 1: you know, you can take that momentaryset And he was 295 00:17:01,360 --> 00:17:05,400 Speaker 1: actually counseled I a player on the tour to say 296 00:17:05,440 --> 00:17:09,760 Speaker 1: go ahead, not not for gamesmanship, but to use the 297 00:17:09,800 --> 00:17:14,040 Speaker 1: moment to change your shirt, get your head together. Now 298 00:17:14,119 --> 00:17:16,399 Speaker 1: you can argue whether resetting is right or not. And 299 00:17:16,440 --> 00:17:19,600 Speaker 1: if it's not, change the rule. He's not breaking a 300 00:17:19,680 --> 00:17:22,520 Speaker 1: rule and I'm just giving you the contrary opinion, and 301 00:17:22,600 --> 00:17:25,720 Speaker 1: he is not doing it. But there's another big issue 302 00:17:25,760 --> 00:17:29,600 Speaker 1: here that that is under the subtext, which is people 303 00:17:29,640 --> 00:17:31,960 Speaker 1: think that he's going in there to get a coaching session, 304 00:17:31,960 --> 00:17:34,240 Speaker 1: that he's texting. The truth is he is not. I 305 00:17:34,320 --> 00:17:38,080 Speaker 1: know this for a fact. He is not going in 306 00:17:38,160 --> 00:17:42,000 Speaker 1: and doing that. The problem is he does believe coaching 307 00:17:42,080 --> 00:17:44,920 Speaker 1: should be allowed, so when they asked him the question 308 00:17:45,880 --> 00:17:48,120 Speaker 1: what are you doing or what you know? Why you're 309 00:17:48,119 --> 00:17:51,000 Speaker 1: taking rules and what are you coaching? He doesn't say, 310 00:17:51,000 --> 00:17:52,879 Speaker 1: hold on a second, I'm not going in there and 311 00:17:52,920 --> 00:17:56,560 Speaker 1: getting coached. Dad's outside. He's not texting with his father, 312 00:17:56,880 --> 00:18:00,119 Speaker 1: which is what people assume. He is methodically putting his 313 00:18:00,200 --> 00:18:03,280 Speaker 1: racket down. He's very wrathful, like in slow motion, off 314 00:18:03,320 --> 00:18:07,000 Speaker 1: the court on those brakes. And so the world has 315 00:18:07,040 --> 00:18:10,680 Speaker 1: made an assumption and he has not helped himself because 316 00:18:10,720 --> 00:18:13,080 Speaker 1: in a press conference and again, a young guy from 317 00:18:13,119 --> 00:18:16,560 Speaker 1: Greece who has been thrust into the spotlight after years 318 00:18:16,560 --> 00:18:19,359 Speaker 1: of working to get there. And there's a lot of 319 00:18:19,359 --> 00:18:23,719 Speaker 1: different things going on here, and people are assuming the worst. 320 00:18:24,000 --> 00:18:26,119 Speaker 1: This is a good guy. This is a guy with 321 00:18:26,160 --> 00:18:29,560 Speaker 1: a white hat, This is a I mean, he's amazing. 322 00:18:29,760 --> 00:18:33,159 Speaker 1: And there is this one little thing, and you know, 323 00:18:33,359 --> 00:18:36,520 Speaker 1: people have hyper focused on it. If the rules should change, 324 00:18:36,920 --> 00:18:40,960 Speaker 1: the rules should change, and is it in not great form? 325 00:18:41,160 --> 00:18:44,080 Speaker 1: That is arguable, but he is not necessarily doing the 326 00:18:44,080 --> 00:18:46,680 Speaker 1: worst thing. But here's what I will tell you. Ultimately, 327 00:18:47,000 --> 00:18:51,439 Speaker 1: all of this stuff, it blows my mind and I 328 00:18:51,520 --> 00:18:53,960 Speaker 1: love it. And this is one of the great benefits 329 00:18:53,960 --> 00:18:57,040 Speaker 1: of being Tennis Channel and tennis dot Com and all 330 00:18:57,040 --> 00:19:00,320 Speaker 1: the different things that we are that people do focus 331 00:19:00,359 --> 00:19:04,840 Speaker 1: on it so much that it becomes the conversation globally 332 00:19:05,800 --> 00:19:10,000 Speaker 1: is a competitor doing and it's amazing. I won't be 333 00:19:10,040 --> 00:19:11,520 Speaker 1: able to go in a room for the next two 334 00:19:11,560 --> 00:19:13,680 Speaker 1: months anywhere in the world, although I'm not gonna be 335 00:19:13,720 --> 00:19:16,960 Speaker 1: traveling the whole world that much, um or talk to 336 00:19:17,040 --> 00:19:19,879 Speaker 1: people globally without this being a conversation. And you know what, 337 00:19:20,240 --> 00:19:22,639 Speaker 1: I love that. I think that's what makes it so great. 338 00:19:22,960 --> 00:19:26,720 Speaker 1: He's great, he will be back. I believe in the 339 00:19:26,920 --> 00:19:31,639 Speaker 1: in the positive spotlight with a halo, you know, not 340 00:19:31,760 --> 00:19:34,840 Speaker 1: a pitchfork over is can. I feel like that speaks 341 00:19:34,840 --> 00:19:38,080 Speaker 1: to how much of tennis these days is about the 342 00:19:38,119 --> 00:19:41,240 Speaker 1: moments like that as opposed to the ball in play. 343 00:19:41,720 --> 00:19:45,520 Speaker 1: Um I. Our colleague Jason Kelly, was talking to Serena 344 00:19:45,560 --> 00:19:49,760 Speaker 1: Williams's coach, who says that um of the time the 345 00:19:49,800 --> 00:19:53,040 Speaker 1: balls and play the other cent of the time other 346 00:19:53,080 --> 00:19:55,960 Speaker 1: things are going on in the tennis broadcast. I want 347 00:19:55,960 --> 00:19:57,840 Speaker 1: to get to the business of tennis, in the business 348 00:19:57,840 --> 00:20:00,159 Speaker 1: of broadcast for a moment here, because um I was 349 00:20:00,160 --> 00:20:02,720 Speaker 1: reading that in April. That's what one month after the 350 00:20:02,720 --> 00:20:06,800 Speaker 1: pandemic began, you launched in Germany, in Austria and Switzerland, 351 00:20:07,720 --> 00:20:10,240 Speaker 1: and then in August of this year you launched uh 352 00:20:10,240 --> 00:20:12,919 Speaker 1: your streaming service in the UK and I believe India 353 00:20:12,960 --> 00:20:15,880 Speaker 1: as well. Tell us how that's going quickly and why 354 00:20:15,960 --> 00:20:21,879 Speaker 1: you chose the last two specific markets India and the UK. Sure, Um, 355 00:20:21,920 --> 00:20:25,480 Speaker 1: it's going very well. This is again one of those 356 00:20:25,520 --> 00:20:27,920 Speaker 1: overnight successes that's been years in the making. We wanted 357 00:20:27,960 --> 00:20:31,879 Speaker 1: to figure out how could we appropriately by region globally 358 00:20:32,000 --> 00:20:37,000 Speaker 1: duplicate um the success that we've had in complementing tennis 359 00:20:37,080 --> 00:20:39,760 Speaker 1: as it exists in the media in any given region. 360 00:20:40,080 --> 00:20:42,560 Speaker 1: So in the United States we built the suit to fit. 361 00:20:43,000 --> 00:20:45,240 Speaker 1: It's ended up that we've we've got a piece of 362 00:20:45,240 --> 00:20:48,840 Speaker 1: all the majors and and now both tours totally. I'm 363 00:20:48,840 --> 00:20:53,000 Speaker 1: not expecting that for a while lovely around the world. Germany, 364 00:20:53,040 --> 00:20:55,760 Speaker 1: Austria and Switzerland were our first launch. We partnered with 365 00:20:55,840 --> 00:20:59,639 Speaker 1: Deutsche Tennis uh deeutch Land Tennis, which is obviously the 366 00:20:59,680 --> 00:21:03,199 Speaker 1: German of this federation. So we started by doing a 367 00:21:03,320 --> 00:21:07,440 Speaker 1: pay streaming service there. UH. You know, in Europe, adoption 368 00:21:07,520 --> 00:21:11,400 Speaker 1: rates are are are pretty significant and and so this 369 00:21:11,480 --> 00:21:13,800 Speaker 1: was like bringing water to the ocean. The ability to 370 00:21:14,000 --> 00:21:18,560 Speaker 1: have and always on destination for this particular sport is 371 00:21:18,600 --> 00:21:22,440 Speaker 1: critical for fans because it lives all the time. When 372 00:21:22,440 --> 00:21:25,960 Speaker 1: we leave a major, the next minute that it's over, 373 00:21:26,160 --> 00:21:29,600 Speaker 1: we're on with with three, four or five events globally 374 00:21:29,600 --> 00:21:32,919 Speaker 1: simultaneously with multiple courts, and that never ends to the 375 00:21:32,960 --> 00:21:34,840 Speaker 1: World Tour finals for the men and the women at 376 00:21:34,840 --> 00:21:37,960 Speaker 1: the end of the year. So India and Germany, Austin 377 00:21:38,200 --> 00:21:41,480 Speaker 1: I'm sorry, Austrian Switzerland launched first with a pay app 378 00:21:41,560 --> 00:21:46,600 Speaker 1: and now with a We have got millions of We've 379 00:21:46,640 --> 00:21:50,600 Speaker 1: got six million UM homes. We are part of Samsung 380 00:21:50,880 --> 00:21:54,119 Speaker 1: Samsung TV plots in those markets where it's O E 381 00:21:54,280 --> 00:21:58,720 Speaker 1: M built into the UM you know, into the set 382 00:21:59,400 --> 00:22:01,560 Speaker 1: uh and as part of their regular programming. So when 383 00:22:01,560 --> 00:22:04,119 Speaker 1: you buy a Sam sunset, a new Samsung set in 384 00:22:04,119 --> 00:22:08,959 Speaker 1: those markets, we are automatically included a tennis channel and 385 00:22:09,000 --> 00:22:12,600 Speaker 1: we've got in language content for them. The UK next 386 00:22:12,680 --> 00:22:17,280 Speaker 1: obviously a huge tennis market, and frankly we were we 387 00:22:17,400 --> 00:22:20,760 Speaker 1: launched in the UK a because it's part of the 388 00:22:20,840 --> 00:22:23,879 Speaker 1: fabric of the culture of the UK, as it is 389 00:22:23,920 --> 00:22:26,520 Speaker 1: really all around the world. But they they came to 390 00:22:26,640 --> 00:22:29,760 Speaker 1: us and said, we really, I think that there's the 391 00:22:29,840 --> 00:22:33,200 Speaker 1: need for this now and again we launched this one 392 00:22:33,200 --> 00:22:36,639 Speaker 1: as a free ad supported service, you know, fast as 393 00:22:36,680 --> 00:22:39,640 Speaker 1: the acronym, and I think that all your listeners who 394 00:22:39,640 --> 00:22:42,160 Speaker 1: are listening to the business side of this, uh mark 395 00:22:42,240 --> 00:22:45,560 Speaker 1: my words, fast channels are going to be or free 396 00:22:45,600 --> 00:22:49,879 Speaker 1: ad supported streaming channels where they're linear. This is television, 397 00:22:49,880 --> 00:22:52,240 Speaker 1: this is broadcast, it's you know, I don't think that 398 00:22:52,359 --> 00:22:56,320 Speaker 1: pay streaming is really the replacement to broadcast. And India 399 00:22:56,920 --> 00:23:00,359 Speaker 1: also huge tennis culture. I was just with my and 400 00:23:00,520 --> 00:23:03,240 Speaker 1: vj Rmtrage has done precautious on our areas. One of 401 00:23:03,240 --> 00:23:06,200 Speaker 1: our lead announcers. You can't walk around India with with 402 00:23:06,680 --> 00:23:10,000 Speaker 1: you know, with with him and not be stopped for 403 00:23:10,040 --> 00:23:13,679 Speaker 1: an autograph, no matter of generationally, and there's always been 404 00:23:13,680 --> 00:23:16,480 Speaker 1: a tennis culture there and you know, pretty big population 405 00:23:16,520 --> 00:23:19,119 Speaker 1: based the target in India, needless to say, with a 406 00:23:19,200 --> 00:23:22,400 Speaker 1: huge growing middle class. So we also had demand there 407 00:23:22,800 --> 00:23:25,920 Speaker 1: and we're doing that both ways, and we're really gonna 408 00:23:26,000 --> 00:23:28,440 Speaker 1: end up rolling out the entire world. We've built a platform, 409 00:23:28,520 --> 00:23:32,240 Speaker 1: we've got the ability to scale that very very appropriately. 410 00:23:32,280 --> 00:23:34,760 Speaker 1: Whenever we could sort of flip on the whole world now, 411 00:23:34,800 --> 00:23:37,560 Speaker 1: but we feel it's important to go reagion by region 412 00:23:37,600 --> 00:23:39,439 Speaker 1: and make sure that we launch properly and have the 413 00:23:39,520 --> 00:23:42,000 Speaker 1: right partnerships in place. And the last thing I'll say 414 00:23:42,119 --> 00:23:44,640 Speaker 1: is we're doing it in every one of those regions 415 00:23:44,640 --> 00:23:48,200 Speaker 1: on two platforms, because we both have streaming either free 416 00:23:48,240 --> 00:23:50,920 Speaker 1: or pay or sides to broadcast where we like to 417 00:23:50,960 --> 00:23:54,120 Speaker 1: complement the existing broadcast. But we also have tennis dot Com, 418 00:23:54,119 --> 00:23:57,280 Speaker 1: which is global and also geo targetable, so we we'll 419 00:23:57,320 --> 00:23:59,960 Speaker 1: do more and more in language there can talk at 420 00:24:00,000 --> 00:24:04,640 Speaker 1: at the impact of sports betting and gaming on viewership. Well, 421 00:24:07,400 --> 00:24:12,760 Speaker 1: pardon me, this is a personal interest in Michael Barr. Michael, 422 00:24:12,840 --> 00:24:16,960 Speaker 1: come sit by me. It's one of my favorite topics 423 00:24:17,000 --> 00:24:20,120 Speaker 1: because you know, everyone's like, wow, this is new sports betting. 424 00:24:20,520 --> 00:24:23,160 Speaker 1: We've been the only you know, as tennis channel going 425 00:24:23,160 --> 00:24:26,359 Speaker 1: into our I think eighteen year here, I'm too old 426 00:24:26,440 --> 00:24:28,680 Speaker 1: to be able. I got to take off my shoes 427 00:24:28,720 --> 00:24:30,440 Speaker 1: and count my toes to figure out how old we 428 00:24:30,480 --> 00:24:34,840 Speaker 1: are now. Um. We we we have been. We have 429 00:24:34,960 --> 00:24:39,359 Speaker 1: been talking about we've been the only country in the 430 00:24:39,400 --> 00:24:42,880 Speaker 1: world where they're not betting on tennis. Um. And it's 431 00:24:42,920 --> 00:24:45,080 Speaker 1: always been a little bit frustrating because people say, what's 432 00:24:45,080 --> 00:24:46,919 Speaker 1: it gonna be like? Its tennis gonna be able to 433 00:24:47,640 --> 00:24:49,640 Speaker 1: you know, handle it, And you know, this is one 434 00:24:49,720 --> 00:24:52,159 Speaker 1: sport unlike the organized sports in the United States, who 435 00:24:52,160 --> 00:24:54,879 Speaker 1: are all quite quickly figuring out their place in this 436 00:24:55,040 --> 00:24:57,280 Speaker 1: and involving it. Where we've been doing it for a 437 00:24:57,320 --> 00:24:59,800 Speaker 1: long long time. We've been preparing for this really for 438 00:24:59,840 --> 00:25:02,480 Speaker 1: a for a decade. And look, I go back to 439 00:25:04,359 --> 00:25:07,760 Speaker 1: I think this country is interesting. It's another great sort 440 00:25:07,760 --> 00:25:11,119 Speaker 1: of sociological test in that, uh, you know, this is 441 00:25:11,160 --> 00:25:14,639 Speaker 1: the country where temperance was preached and you know you 442 00:25:14,680 --> 00:25:17,760 Speaker 1: weren't able to buy a bottle of booze um. But 443 00:25:18,760 --> 00:25:23,439 Speaker 1: you know, the truth is prohibition was not probably the cure. 444 00:25:23,560 --> 00:25:29,360 Speaker 1: And in this case, most wagering is about fun engagement 445 00:25:29,400 --> 00:25:31,679 Speaker 1: to your question, and it's a way for people to 446 00:25:31,720 --> 00:25:35,879 Speaker 1: get excited about something and to engage more. And whether 447 00:25:35,960 --> 00:25:38,960 Speaker 1: you uh, you know, get a couple of friends sitting 448 00:25:39,000 --> 00:25:42,400 Speaker 1: around the table and everyone throws in a nickel, uh 449 00:25:42,440 --> 00:25:45,639 Speaker 1: and it becomes more interesting. Or you're doing a box 450 00:25:45,800 --> 00:25:49,840 Speaker 1: you know, a box score pool for March madness, or 451 00:25:50,640 --> 00:25:54,960 Speaker 1: or you know the you know, the Super Bowl, um 452 00:25:55,640 --> 00:25:58,600 Speaker 1: people who know nothing about the game and who are 453 00:25:58,600 --> 00:26:01,320 Speaker 1: playing a game of chance in putting up a buck 454 00:26:01,400 --> 00:26:04,960 Speaker 1: or two and with a chance to win a hundred um. 455 00:26:05,640 --> 00:26:08,119 Speaker 1: It's it's a reason for them to all of a 456 00:26:08,200 --> 00:26:10,879 Speaker 1: sudden pay attention. And if it's nothing more than the 457 00:26:10,960 --> 00:26:15,399 Speaker 1: last couple um uh, you know numbers on the score 458 00:26:16,080 --> 00:26:19,000 Speaker 1: they're going to be. It just brings a new level 459 00:26:19,040 --> 00:26:22,359 Speaker 1: of fun and excitement. It is entertainment. It is a 460 00:26:22,400 --> 00:26:27,320 Speaker 1: way for people to have another level of of connectivity 461 00:26:27,359 --> 00:26:31,600 Speaker 1: to the sport. And you know, ninety five percent of 462 00:26:31,640 --> 00:26:34,240 Speaker 1: these bets are props. Are are you know a couple 463 00:26:34,240 --> 00:26:37,320 Speaker 1: of buck prop bets where people are guessing, you know, 464 00:26:37,440 --> 00:26:39,359 Speaker 1: how it's going to come out. And the beauty of 465 00:26:39,400 --> 00:26:42,320 Speaker 1: tennis is a couple of things. Ten second most gambled 466 00:26:42,359 --> 00:26:45,320 Speaker 1: upon sport in the world. And it's not everyone who 467 00:26:45,320 --> 00:26:48,439 Speaker 1: loves tennis loves to bet the most. It's it's there 468 00:26:48,480 --> 00:26:51,840 Speaker 1: are three real reasons for that. Um. Number One. Tennis 469 00:26:51,920 --> 00:26:54,800 Speaker 1: is it's a universal standards, so there are more people 470 00:26:54,880 --> 00:26:58,280 Speaker 1: in the world who watch and play the game than 471 00:26:58,800 --> 00:27:01,840 Speaker 1: most other sport. That's you there's no country, there's no 472 00:27:01,960 --> 00:27:04,639 Speaker 1: corner of the world where tennis isn't played. It's the 473 00:27:04,680 --> 00:27:07,240 Speaker 1: same rules and it's the same stars who are followed. 474 00:27:07,640 --> 00:27:09,760 Speaker 1: It's also played in every corner of the world. Right 475 00:27:09,760 --> 00:27:13,320 Speaker 1: tennis comes to you, whether it's the Pacific Rim, South America, 476 00:27:13,480 --> 00:27:18,240 Speaker 1: North America, Europe, Eastern Europe, pick the South Africa, pick 477 00:27:18,240 --> 00:27:22,280 Speaker 1: a country, pick a region. Tennis is there and it's 478 00:27:22,359 --> 00:27:24,920 Speaker 1: part of the culture there locally, which is why it's 479 00:27:24,920 --> 00:27:27,600 Speaker 1: good to launch these international networks and stuff all does 480 00:27:27,680 --> 00:27:30,640 Speaker 1: tie together, um, but you have a just a broader base. 481 00:27:31,440 --> 00:27:35,640 Speaker 1: Probably the single the two most important reasons why tennis 482 00:27:35,720 --> 00:27:40,240 Speaker 1: is is so popular when it comes to as a 483 00:27:40,280 --> 00:27:43,840 Speaker 1: way to engage through making a wager, fantasy or real money. 484 00:27:44,080 --> 00:27:48,560 Speaker 1: I might add um is number one because of the 485 00:27:48,680 --> 00:27:51,679 Speaker 1: ubiquitous nature of the footprints of the game itself. And 486 00:27:51,760 --> 00:27:55,120 Speaker 1: that's why we exist. Because you need a twenty four hour, 487 00:27:55,480 --> 00:27:58,520 Speaker 1: seven day a week tennis channel and series of channels 488 00:27:58,560 --> 00:28:01,880 Speaker 1: now you know, any of them bill streaming and through 489 00:28:01,920 --> 00:28:05,560 Speaker 1: broadcast and through the web. Because it's always on with 490 00:28:05,640 --> 00:28:09,040 Speaker 1: multiple courts. We have a bracketed sport that is the 491 00:28:09,080 --> 00:28:14,199 Speaker 1: equivalent of March madness every day, and you know you 492 00:28:14,240 --> 00:28:17,280 Speaker 1: need to make sense of that when it comes to betting. 493 00:28:18,560 --> 00:28:22,320 Speaker 1: Not only are the tennis fans maybe making a wager, 494 00:28:22,680 --> 00:28:25,280 Speaker 1: but it's fans of other sports. If it's you know, 495 00:28:25,440 --> 00:28:27,480 Speaker 1: maybe it's cricket in India that you know, when the 496 00:28:27,520 --> 00:28:32,000 Speaker 1: cricket matches over, which is almost never. Um you you know, 497 00:28:32,119 --> 00:28:34,680 Speaker 1: you you go to the that betting page and there 498 00:28:35,240 --> 00:28:37,640 Speaker 1: when he tennis matches on at any given moment, with 499 00:28:37,680 --> 00:28:40,400 Speaker 1: personalities and names you know, and you can you know, 500 00:28:40,520 --> 00:28:43,160 Speaker 1: test your skill or just take a shot at somebody 501 00:28:43,240 --> 00:28:46,680 Speaker 1: you you like a lot um. So there's there's always 502 00:28:46,680 --> 00:28:49,080 Speaker 1: a chance to make a wager on tennis, and a 503 00:28:49,080 --> 00:28:52,000 Speaker 1: lot of that's just about wealth. The opportunity is there 504 00:28:52,000 --> 00:28:54,640 Speaker 1: for people when they're done. And then the last reason, 505 00:28:55,240 --> 00:28:57,080 Speaker 1: which I don't know, you tell me, maybe this is 506 00:28:57,080 --> 00:29:02,320 Speaker 1: even bigger. The format is absolutely built for the fun 507 00:29:02,760 --> 00:29:05,600 Speaker 1: of trying to figure out what's going to happen and 508 00:29:05,640 --> 00:29:09,760 Speaker 1: then everything resets, because it's a point game, set match 509 00:29:10,520 --> 00:29:15,160 Speaker 1: tournament where you can literally say, if you just take 510 00:29:15,200 --> 00:29:18,320 Speaker 1: the most basic blood, call it an ace, right, how 511 00:29:18,320 --> 00:29:21,360 Speaker 1: many aces? How many aces in this game? Okay, I'm 512 00:29:21,400 --> 00:29:25,400 Speaker 1: sitting with my friend or my son or daughter or wife, 513 00:29:25,800 --> 00:29:28,160 Speaker 1: and although we're not betting with each other because it 514 00:29:28,160 --> 00:29:31,280 Speaker 1: will all be my money in the end. Um. And 515 00:29:31,280 --> 00:29:33,880 Speaker 1: and there you know, it's like how many aces you 516 00:29:33,880 --> 00:29:36,040 Speaker 1: think this game? How many aces you think this set? 517 00:29:36,120 --> 00:29:38,640 Speaker 1: How many aces you think this match? How many this tournament? 518 00:29:38,840 --> 00:29:41,280 Speaker 1: How many this week? How many of this year? How 519 00:29:41,280 --> 00:29:42,840 Speaker 1: many till the end of the year. Who's gonna have 520 00:29:42,840 --> 00:29:45,600 Speaker 1: the most aces of the year? And so its you know, 521 00:29:45,760 --> 00:29:50,600 Speaker 1: take that game. And the line changes with every game, 522 00:29:50,640 --> 00:29:53,320 Speaker 1: because this is one of the few games where it resets. 523 00:29:53,360 --> 00:29:55,760 Speaker 1: So you can have as we have seen, as we 524 00:29:55,800 --> 00:30:01,680 Speaker 1: saw just yesterday. You know, Daniel Medvedev um pretty much. 525 00:30:02,000 --> 00:30:04,160 Speaker 1: You know, first of all, I mean when he gives 526 00:30:04,240 --> 00:30:08,320 Speaker 1: up a set to bow. Take this Dutchman who's from 527 00:30:08,320 --> 00:30:10,400 Speaker 1: the Midlands, whose name I am not going to go 528 00:30:10,480 --> 00:30:12,200 Speaker 1: for his last but the only one I'm not going 529 00:30:12,240 --> 00:30:15,040 Speaker 1: to try, um, you know, and all of a sudden, 530 00:30:15,240 --> 00:30:17,960 Speaker 1: you know, you're thinking it's done. He's at you know, 531 00:30:18,000 --> 00:30:19,880 Speaker 1: he got blown out in the second set. You don't 532 00:30:19,880 --> 00:30:22,160 Speaker 1: lose two sets in a wrote Daniel Medvedev, including I 533 00:30:22,240 --> 00:30:24,840 Speaker 1: think getting bagel or one game and the second and 534 00:30:24,840 --> 00:30:26,800 Speaker 1: then all of a sudden he comes back. You can 535 00:30:26,840 --> 00:30:29,840 Speaker 1: imagine that line. And the last thing is we are 536 00:30:29,880 --> 00:30:32,920 Speaker 1: a culture that has evolved. I was in the general 537 00:30:33,000 --> 00:30:36,440 Speaker 1: entertainment business, although I always lovet tennis before this. You know, 538 00:30:36,440 --> 00:30:38,520 Speaker 1: when you ask people what movie they saw, they'll tell 539 00:30:38,560 --> 00:30:40,800 Speaker 1: you the box office. Right. We we are a data 540 00:30:40,920 --> 00:30:46,440 Speaker 1: driven scoreboard based kind of you know, society and global society. 541 00:30:46,480 --> 00:30:49,440 Speaker 1: Now we keep track and so it's it's fun. And 542 00:30:49,480 --> 00:30:53,440 Speaker 1: what you're doing with a betting line is you're getting 543 00:30:53,440 --> 00:30:57,040 Speaker 1: instantaneous polling results, which we all love. We want to 544 00:30:57,080 --> 00:30:59,080 Speaker 1: know what other people think. So we've got our aunt, 545 00:30:59,200 --> 00:31:02,280 Speaker 1: we got what you. We've got our analysts, and if 546 00:31:02,280 --> 00:31:05,720 Speaker 1: they're good, you are going, oh my goodness, I didn't 547 00:31:05,760 --> 00:31:09,200 Speaker 1: realize the way Jim Currier or Lindsey Davin Border, Tracy 548 00:31:09,240 --> 00:31:12,400 Speaker 1: Austen or James you go down the list. They've made 549 00:31:12,440 --> 00:31:15,200 Speaker 1: me think differently and a little smarter about what's going 550 00:31:15,240 --> 00:31:18,160 Speaker 1: on out there. Right. They add more insights so that 551 00:31:19,120 --> 00:31:22,480 Speaker 1: folks like Michael Barr, yeah, have better information to then 552 00:31:22,520 --> 00:31:25,680 Speaker 1: make their next side bet. All right, I see smiling, 553 00:31:26,040 --> 00:31:30,160 Speaker 1: and then you get then you get the whole world going, well, 554 00:31:30,160 --> 00:31:34,480 Speaker 1: here's what, here's what. The the gladiatorial arena again, I 555 00:31:34,560 --> 00:31:38,640 Speaker 1: like that gladiatorial arena. Can I really appreciate your joining 556 00:31:38,720 --> 00:31:42,600 Speaker 1: us today on Bloomberg Business of Sports. UM. Fantastic conversation 557 00:31:42,680 --> 00:31:44,960 Speaker 1: here as the US Open continues to unfold in Michael 558 00:31:45,000 --> 00:31:47,920 Speaker 1: Barr makes his way over. Eventually, Lynch and I will 559 00:31:47,960 --> 00:31:51,960 Speaker 1: be watching UM on streaming. Of course, Michael, come find it, 560 00:31:52,120 --> 00:31:54,200 Speaker 1: you know, strap your mask on and come find its. 561 00:31:54,280 --> 00:31:56,920 Speaker 1: I I would love to say one more thing, dude, 562 00:31:56,960 --> 00:32:00,360 Speaker 1: you guys will hopefully appreciate, which is I think that 563 00:32:00,440 --> 00:32:02,640 Speaker 1: the US opened the U s t A. The players 564 00:32:02,640 --> 00:32:05,840 Speaker 1: and everybody deserve a tremendous amount of credit, not only 565 00:32:05,880 --> 00:32:08,840 Speaker 1: for being able to pull this off two years in 566 00:32:08,880 --> 00:32:11,080 Speaker 1: a row and last year in a very different circumstances. 567 00:32:11,160 --> 00:32:14,040 Speaker 1: But the thing that has made my heart jump so 568 00:32:14,120 --> 00:32:18,160 Speaker 1: much is that they made the decision and with the 569 00:32:18,200 --> 00:32:20,880 Speaker 1: government to say we're going to do this, but you 570 00:32:20,960 --> 00:32:24,080 Speaker 1: have to be vaccinated. And as I sat in the 571 00:32:24,200 --> 00:32:31,120 Speaker 1: stadium full of vaccinated people, they were relaxed. It doesn't 572 00:32:31,120 --> 00:32:33,200 Speaker 1: mean that they didn't need a socially distance, but we 573 00:32:33,320 --> 00:32:36,760 Speaker 1: did it right. We were able to basically live the 574 00:32:36,760 --> 00:32:40,120 Speaker 1: way we're supposed to live with some adjustments, and it 575 00:32:40,160 --> 00:32:44,320 Speaker 1: allowed us to have what we really wanted right, which 576 00:32:44,400 --> 00:32:46,400 Speaker 1: was again and it just it shows you that if 577 00:32:46,440 --> 00:32:50,280 Speaker 1: you just do pay attention, if you just do get vaccinated, 578 00:32:50,840 --> 00:32:53,120 Speaker 1: we can put twenty seven thousand people in a in 579 00:32:53,160 --> 00:32:56,440 Speaker 1: a in a building and you know what, everything's okay 580 00:32:56,800 --> 00:32:58,720 Speaker 1: and or as good as it can be. So I 581 00:32:59,040 --> 00:33:03,360 Speaker 1: think that that's a huge milestone in and started showing, 582 00:33:04,280 --> 00:33:06,840 Speaker 1: you know, the differences in how you approach these things, 583 00:33:06,880 --> 00:33:08,800 Speaker 1: and hopefully others will be able to take note and 584 00:33:08,840 --> 00:33:11,440 Speaker 1: it'll get us closer to normal spit. We'll definitely bring 585 00:33:11,440 --> 00:33:13,560 Speaker 1: that up with the other folks we speak with. Ken, 586 00:33:13,840 --> 00:33:15,720 Speaker 1: thank you so much for your time today, Tennis Channel 587 00:33:15,800 --> 00:33:19,800 Speaker 1: CEO Ken Solomon with us. Thanks guys, been great being 588 00:33:19,800 --> 00:33:22,640 Speaker 1: with your favorite We love you. You've been listening to 589 00:33:22,640 --> 00:33:25,040 Speaker 1: the Bloomberg Business of Sports. We're here each and every 590 00:33:25,040 --> 00:33:27,680 Speaker 1: week at the same time, plus online wherever you get 591 00:33:27,680 --> 00:33:31,600 Speaker 1: your podcasts and catch those on Monday's, Wednesdays and Thursdays. 592 00:33:31,800 --> 00:33:34,760 Speaker 1: I'm Scarlet fu Or on Twitter at Scarlet fou and 593 00:33:34,800 --> 00:33:37,160 Speaker 1: I'm Mike Lynch. You can follow me at Lynch w CDV. 594 00:33:37,520 --> 00:33:39,640 Speaker 1: And I'm Michael bar you can follow me on Twitter 595 00:33:39,840 --> 00:33:43,080 Speaker 1: at Big Bar Sports. You're listening to Bloomberg Business of 596 00:33:43,120 --> 00:33:45,640 Speaker 1: Sports from Bloomberg Radio round the world.