Murray, Del Potro Headline Dream Cup Barbados Live on ESPN3
Two-Day Event also includes Nicolas Almagro, Richard Gasquet
ESPN International to Show Matches on TV, Broadband
ESPN3 and ESPN International will provide live coverage of the 2013 Dream Cup Barbados, a two-day event November 29-30 featuring reigning Wimbledon champion Andy Murray, the No. 3 ranked player in the world in his first action since back surgery following the US Open, plus No. 5 Juan Martin Del Potro, No. 10 Richard Gasquet and No. 16 Nicolas Almagro. The four-player tournament will be held at the Wildey Gymnasium at the Sir Garfield Sobers Sports Complex. The players will compete for a villa stay in one of the premium beachfront homes at the nearby Saint Peter's Bay Resort & Residences.
ESPN's Patrick McEnroe will serve as the analyst for the matches, teamed with Alex Jordan, a native of Barbados who starred in swimming and golf and now works in television and radio in England.
As part of a two-year agreement, ESPN will stream the action live and exclusively on ESPN3, its broadband network in the U.S., as well as on television and broadband networks in Australia and New Zealand, Brazil, the Caribbean and Spanish-speaking Latin America. The two semifinal matches will be played Friday, Nov. 29, at 6 p.m. with the winners to meet in the championship Saturday, Nov. 30, at 6 p.m.
"The Dream Cup from Barbados is an exceptional showcase for some of the best tennis players in the world," Michael Walters, vice president, programming, ESPN International, said. "It will provide ESPN International's multi-platform services with an outstanding tennis competition from a unique venue and we are pleased to be able to bring this event live to fans around the world."
"We are thrilled to have top players like Andy, Juan Martin, Richard and Nicolas come to Barbados and experience this incredible paradise," said Kodi Lewis, Executive Director, The Dream Cup Barbados. "We are grateful for the relationships with key supporters such as the Barbados Tourism Authority, ESPN and Saint Peter's Bay. Having this amazing tennis talent compete on the island will be a fantastic experience for the fans and sponsors and we can't wait to kick 'The Dream Cup' off."
The Dream Cup Barbados on ESPN3, ESPN International
Date Time (ET) Region Network(s)
Fri, Nov 29 6 - 10 p.m. Australia ESPN 2, ESPN3
6 - 10 p.m. Brazil ESPN+, WatchESPN
6 - 10 p.m. Caribbean ESPN 2, ESPN Play
6 - 10 p.m. Mexico ESPN 2, ESPN Play
6 - 8 p.m. Australia & New Zealand ESPN, ESPN3
6 - 10 p.m. U.S. ESPN3
Sat, Nov 30 6 - 8 p.m. Brazil ESPN, WatchESPN
6 - 8 p.m. Caribbean ESPN, ESPN3
6 - 8 p.m. Latin America ESPN, ESPN Play
6 - 8 p.m. U.S. ESPN3
The links to ESPN3's coverage:
Friday, Nov. 29:
http://espn.go.com/watchespn/index/_/id/1216763/the-dream-cup-barbados-2013
Saturday, Nov. 30:
http://espn.go.com/watchespn/index/_/id/1216838/the-dream-cup-barbados-2013
About The Dream Cup Barbados
Started in 2009 as "Tennis Pon de Rock," the event has attracted top tennis talent like Serena Williams, Venus Williams, John Isner, Gael Monfils, Victoria Azarenka, and Caroline Wozniacki. The event was inspired by tournament founder and executive director Kodi Lewis as a way to raise funds for his brother Hayden Lewis who aspired to pursue his dream to play on the ATP Tour. The Dream Cup recently completed a two-year deal with ESPN in which The Dream Cup and Barbados will be featured across ESPN's extensive networks and associated platforms. While the name of the tournament has changed to The Dream Cup, the motto remains the same "Aspire To Inspire." The organization aims to provide financial support to assist in the development of tennis in Barbados by providing assistance to the Barbados Tennis Association's School Initiative Program. This program introduces tennis to a large number of children on the island who otherwise would not be able to afford to participate.
About ESPN3
ESPN3 is ESPN's live multi-screen sports network, a 24/7 destination that delivers thousands of global sports events annually via WatchESPN. It is available to 85 million homes at no additional cost to fans who receive their high-speed Internet connection or video subscription from an affiliated service provider. The network is also available at no cost to approximately 21 million U.S. college students and U.S.-based military personnel via computers connected to on-campus educational networks and on-base military networks.
ESPN3 carries thousands of hours of tennis annually, including all four Grand Slam events, plus ATP 1000 and 500 tournaments and WTA Premier Events, and season-ending championships for both tours.
About ESPN International
ESPN International is a division of ESPN, Inc., which has grown to include ownership - in whole or in part - of 24 television networks outside of the United States, as well as a variety of additional businesses that allow ESPN to reach sports fans in over 61 countries and territories across all seven continents. ESPN International business entities include television, radio, print, internet, broadband, wireless, consumer products, and event management. The company and its holdings maintain offices or production facilities in key locations around the world including Bangalore, Bristol, CT, Buenos Aires, Hong Kong, London, Mexico City, Miami, FL, Melbourne, Mumbai, New York City, Rio de Janeiro, S�o Paulo, Singapore, Sydney, and Toronto. Since 1983, ESPN (originally founded in Bristol, Connecticut, in 1979) has grown around the world, establishing itself as the leading global sports media brand. The company's philosophy to global growth is to always serve sports fans and be locally relevant to them, with content and products that tap into their great passion and dedication.
ESPN - All Four Slams, All In One Place
Tennis has been part of ESPN since its first week on the air and provided many memorable moments, but it has never been as important as today, with the US Open joining the lineup in 2009, giving ESPN all four Grand Slam events, something no other U.S. network has ever done, let alone in one year. ESPN has presented the Australian Open since 1984, the French Open since 2002 (plus 1986 - 1993), and Wimbledon since 2003, with exclusivity for live television with all other rights extended in a 12-year agreement starting in 2012. Exclusivity for the US Open in an 11-year agreement begins in 2015.
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