As you likely saw yesterday, ESPN is taking a different approach to cover this new-look mixed doubles tournament, including interviews with contestants in between sets during matches.
Here is what our senior sports media writer Richard Deitsch had to say earlier this week about ESPN’s new approach:
✍️ “Here is the reality from the broadcaster perspective: this is a television show…with a $1 million prize for the winning team and all the makings of great television.
“Linda Schulz, an ESPN vice president of production, and Brett Jackson, a coordinating producer, are the production point people for the company’s coverage of tennis.
“It is meeting this new format with changes of its own, including end-of-set interviews with the stars to take the temperature of each match.
“The interviews, conducted by 2017 U.S. Open women’s singles champion Sloane Stephens and former men’s world No. 11 Sam Querrey, will only take place during the mixed doubles event.”
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ESPN embraces U.S. Open mixed doubles with interviews between sets and new technology