First golf, now tennis, in an attempt to cure the world of sleep deprivation the Satellite Radio Industry has collectively gotten together to air some of the least radio-friendly sports possible. Yes folks, that's right, Sirius Satellite Radio just announced that it has signed a 4-year agreement to air play-by-play updates of the Wimbledon Championships for an undisclosed amount. At first, I thought pretty much the same thing that many of you are doing right now. What's the use of listening to Tennis? (grunt!) wack, wack, wack, "SCORE!" (grunt!) wack, wack, wack "LOVE!" Not necessarily anything that gets blood rushing to spongy tissue.
But then look at this deal from the collective standpoint.
Sirius is systematically scooping up as many sports as they can. It's not just about how big of a market will listen to Tennis, but the overall sports experience to the listener. When a possible subscriber looks at Sirius, they'll see NFL, NBA, NHL, College Sports, EPL Soccer, NASCAR (in 2007) and now Tennis.
Radio will never replace Television, so arguing that some sports are better on TV than they are on Radio is a moot point. Radio is supplimental. It's what you do when you're driving, or at work, or out for a jog, or pounding back shots of Jager on your friend's boat. So when you can't be parked on your couch drinking a six-pack with your foam "Anna #1!" finger at hand, you can listen to [insert hot tennis player] grunting and wacking away on Sirius Satellite Radio when they begin broadcasting the Wimbledon Championships from June 20 to July 3.
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