First-Ever Contest for US Fans to Design Official 2014 Poster

Winner Receives All-Expenses Paid Trip to Wimbledon with Centre Court Seats; Chris Evert, John McEnroe and AELTC Chairman Philip Brook to Select Winner; Fan Balloting on ESPN.com

New York, NY, USA: Starting today and throughout ESPN’s extensive coverage of the two major tennis events in March, for the first time American fans are invited to submit entries in a contest to design the official annual poster representing The Championships, Wimbledon.  During the BNP Paribas Open and the Sony Open Tennis, fans will see banners on ESPN.com and on ESPN’s telecasts directing them to Wimbledon.com for how to enter. 

“This is yet another unique opportunity for American fans of one of the greatest sporting events in the world,” said Jason Bernstein, ESPN senior director, programming & acquisitions.  “We promised fans that Wimbledon would be showcased in new ways, and we’re delivering on that promise with this contest that allows fans to be part of a Wimbledon tradition.”

The deadline for poster submissions is Sunday, March 16, the day of ESPN2’s live telecasts of the Women’s and Men’s Championships from the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, Calif.  Following that, the All England Club and ESPN will collaborate to narrow the field down to the top 25 contenders.  During ESPN’s coverage of the Sony Open Tennis from Key Biscayne, Fla., voting by fans will open on ESPN.com to help determine the five finalists.  Voting will close Sunday, April 6, and with the fans’ choice in mind, ESPN’s Chris Evert and John McEnroe, along with AELTC Chairman Philip Brook will select the winning poster, to be announced later that month.  Go to www.Wimbledon.com/poster to find out more.

ESPN is providing extensive coverage in March as the ATP and WTA’s best meet on either coast of the United States, with an expanded schedule on television, including the women’s and men’s championships from both events, and a new multi-court presentation on ESPN3:

Date	Time (ET)	Event	Network
March 6 - 16	daylong	BNP Paribas Open – multi-court offering	ESPN3	LIVE
Fri, March 14	4:30 p.m.	BNP Paribas Open -- Men’s Quarterfinal #3	ESPN2	LIVE
	11:30 p.m.	BNP Paribas Open -- Women’s Semifinal #2	ESPN2	LIVE
Sat, March 15	3 p.m.	BNP Paribas Open -- Men’s Semifinals	ESPNEWS	LIVE
Sun, March 16	3 p.m.	BNP Paribas Open -- Women’s Championship Men’s Championship	ESPN2	LIVE
March 19 - 30	daylong	Sony Open Tennis – multi-court offering	ESPN3	LIVE
Wed, March 26	1 p.m.	Sony Open Tennis -- Quarterfinals	ESPN2	LIVE
	1 a.m. (10 p.m. PT)	Sony Open Tennis -- Quarterfinal	ESPN2	Same-day
Thur, March 27	1 p.m.	Sony Open Tennis -- Women’s SF #1, Men’s QF	ESPN2	LIVE
	7 p.m.	Sony Open Tennis -- Men’s QF, Women’s SF #2	ESPN2	LIVE
Fri, March 28	3 p.m.	Sony Open Tennis -- Men’s Semifinal #1	ESPN2	LIVE
	7 p.m.	Sony Open Tennis -- Men’s Semifinal #2	ESPN	LIVE
Sat, March 29	1 p.m.	Sony Open Tennis -- Women’s Championship	ESPN2	LIVE
Sun, March 30	2:30 p.m.	Sony Open Tennis -- Men’s Championship	ESPN	LIVE

ESPN – All Four Majors, 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.

Media Contact: Dave Nagle at (860) 766-2241 or [email protected]