Brothers John and Patrick McEnroe will host two hours of whiparound coverage from Roland-Garros during the French Open’s first six days, TNT Sports is set to announce. The Mac Zone will go live on truTV around 9 a.m. ET, with the first hour each day simulcast to YouTube, as more sports broadcasters turn to digital platforms to expand their reach.
The McEnroes spent time together on truTV’s The Rally at Roland-Garros program last year during the network’s first French Open run. Plans to expand their presence took their current shape when TNT Sports EVP and chief content officer Craig Barry sat down with them a month ago.
“Patrick and John are really interested in pushing tennis coverage forward into the 21st century,” Barry said. “It’s been done the same way for a very long time.”
This time around, they’ll operate out of a new set, strategically positioned near Court Philippe-Chatrier to attract player visits. They’ll have the ability to hop between matches—the 9-11 a.m. ET slot was selected in large part because there should be plenty of action to choose from in the Parisian afternoon—and also interact with viewers on YouTube. House of Highlights personality Lucas Brody of the Broadcast Boys will join the show to interact with talent, players and those chiming in online.
