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The first Grand Slam of the year is upon us and here is everything any UK-based fan needs to know in regards to the broadcasting of the Australian Open 2023, including different viewing alternatives, main presenters, and dates and times of each stage of play.
Dates and Times of Australian Open 2023
Contents
Australian Open 2023 will run from Monday, January 16 to Sunday, January 29. The main day sessions each day will begin at midnight UK time, with no day sessions past the quarter-final stage. The night sessions are set to start at 08 am UK time and they run for the entire duration of the tournament. The draw for the main tournament is set to take place 4 days before it begins on Thursday, January 12.
The schedule of play is as follows:
- Monday, January 16 – Men’s and women’s first-round matches
- Tuesday, January 17 – Men’s and women’s first-round matches
- Wednesday, January 18 – Men’s and women’s second-round matches
- Thursday, January 19 – Men’s and women’s second-round matches
- Friday, January 20 – Men’s and women’s third-round matches
- Saturday, January 21 – Men’s and women’s third-round matches
- Sunday, January 22 – Men’s and women’s fourth-round matches
- Monday, January 23 – Men’s and women’s fourth-round matches
- Tuesday, January 24 – Men’s and women’s quarter-finals
- Wednesday, January 25 – Men’s and women’s quarter-finals
- Thursday, January 26 – Women’s semi-finals
- Friday, January 27 – Men’s semi-finals
- Saturday, January 28 – Women’s final, men’s doubles final
- Sunday, January 29 – Men’s final, women’s double final
Broadcasting Channels – Where to Watch Australian Open on TV in the UK
In September 2021, discovery+ won exclusive rights to broadcast the Australian Open across Europe starting in 2022 and running until 2031. They still use Eurosport as main TV network for broadcasting and providing of commentary and analyses. This means that any UK-based viewer needs to have either Sky, BT or Virgin TV package that includes Eurosport or, alternatively, needs discovery+ on demand. The TV broadcaster to show the entire tournament in the UK will be as usual Eurosport 1 (Sky channel 410, BT 435, Virgin 521).
Viewers that prefer to have total control in regards to what match they want to watch can opt for the discovery+ on demand alternative. Entertainment & Sport pass prices on discovery+ are £6.99/month or yearly-subscription that is now £29.99 for the first year for UK users, down from £59.99. The Eurosport app is an alternative option for viewers that are on the move but don’t want to miss anything.
Australian Open 2023 Presenters
Ever since 2010 ex-tennis stars Mats Wilander and Barbara Schett-Eagle had been the main tennis presenters of Eurosport with their flagship show called ‘Game, Schett and Mats’. Once again the duo will be providing all the studio coverage with exclusive interviews, analyses and guest talks between live matches.
Ex-French tennis player Alize Lim joined the Eurosport cube in 2022. The cube provides exclusive analyses, statistics and last-minute news and Lim had done a good job of engaging with the audience in her short time as part of the presenting crew. She is set to return and provide statistical analyses once matches are completed. Also it seems the cube will be providing regular updates of social media posts from the players.
In terms of live match commentary the list of commentators for the 2023 Australian Open is yet to be confirmed by Eurosport/discovery+, but the likes of Matt Smith, Richard Vaughan, Virginia Wade, Catherine Whitaker, Chris Bowers, Chris Bradnam, Naomi Broady, Andrew Castle, Pat Cash, Matt Chilton, Kim Clijsters, Annabel Croft, Jo Durie, Adam Fielder, Paul Hand, Miles Maclagan, Marion Bartoli, John McEnroe, David Mercer, Arvind Parmer, Simon Reed, and Greg Rusedski have all provided commentary for Eurosport in the past.
Most of them are likely to return for this year’s tournament too. The likes of Virginia Wade (the last British player to win Australian Open back in 1972), Pat Cash, Matt Chilton, Marion Bartoli, John McEnroe, Kim Clijsters and Annabel Croft also often join Mats and Barbara in the studio for pre-game analyses and predictions, plus end-of-day and order of play summaries.
Alternative Viewing Options – Where to Live Stream AO 2023
The alternative option for viewers are the online live streaming of the games via bookmaker websites. Among the many live streaming bookmaker websites that will provide full coverage of 2023 Australian Open the most popular ones remain bet365, Betfair, William Hill, Coral and Ladbrokes.
To use the Live Streaming service one needs to be logged in and have a funded account or to have placed a bet in the last 24 hours. For placing of bets live during matches this remains the best possible way to watch and react swiftly to changes of odds. Official statistic from the 2022 edition of the tournament showed that nearly 43% of viewers in the UK opted for a bookmaker live streaming service.
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