An intriguing experiment: Tennis’s US Open men’s final scheduling change

The USTA and ATP made a bold move by changing the time and channel for the US Open men’s final, airing it on ABC at 2:00 PM EDT on September 8, 2024. This decision came on the same day as the NFL’s big 2024 schedule reveal, sparking debate among sports fans.

Critics argue that ABC may face poor ratings due to the NFL’s dominance in sports television. However, tennis is positioning itself as a budget-friendly alternative to the subscription-based NFL options. With the NFL shifting towards streaming services like YouTube TV, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Peacock, the landscape of sports broadcasting is evolving.

The NFL’s Week 1 schedule now includes games on Thursday and Friday nights, in addition to the traditional Sunday lineup. Despite the NFL’s popularity, tennis is making a strategic move to attract viewers by offering the US Open men’s final on network television.

Interestingly, the US Open women’s final will continue to air on ESPN at 4:00 PM EDT on Saturday, September 7, due to scheduling conflicts with NCAA football programming on both ESPN and ABC. This decision highlights the challenges of programming major sporting events during a busy sports season.

As the USTA and ATP shake up the traditional broadcasting model for the US Open, all eyes will be on how this decision impacts viewership and the future of sports broadcasting. Stay tuned for more updates on Lob and Smash.