Sinclair Broadcast Group Overhauls Tennis.com, Cutting Legacy Commentary
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The move shifts the site's focus toward rudimentary scores and rankings, removing esteemed writers in a broader decline of U.S. tennis journalism.
Sinclair Broadcast Group is executing a complete overhaul of Tennis.com, stripping the site of the distinctive voices and personal commentary that defined the publication, as The Guardian first reported. The site—which began as the online home of Tennis Magazine, a publication started in 1965—now features a rudimentary homepage focused primarily on rankings, scores, and tournament schedules.
The rebuild has resulted in the removal of esteemed writers such as Pete Bodo and Steve Tignor. Tignor told The Guardian that the ownership structure, which saw Sinclair merge the site with the Tennis Channel after purchasing it in 2017, created a conflict of interest because the broadcaster and the publication possess different goals.
Jill Dortheimer, vice-president of communications for Tennis Channel, told The Guardian that the first priority of the rebuild is to deliver comprehensive match schedules and draws, adding that more improvements for fans are planned for the future. Dortheimer did not provide answers regarding page view issues or plans to bring back written commentary.
The Guardian notes that this shift occurs as serious tennis writing in the U.S. becomes endangered. While the UK maintains tennis beat writers at major newspapers, the U.S. market has seen a decline. Currently, The Athletic, owned by the New York Times, is cited as the only remaining outlet employing full-time tennis writers, specifically Matthew Futterman.
Analysis from The Guardian suggests Sinclair may be prioritizing on-air announcer debates regarding gambling odds to satisfy advertisers such as FanDuel and BetMGM over the maintenance of independent written commentary.