NBC Denies Fans Hoping to Watch Wimbledon Semifinals Live

If tennis wants to be taken seriously, then this can't be happening. If you tried to watch the Andy Roddick-Andy Murray Wimbledon semi live Friday, well, good luck.

During the match, ESPN2 was showing last year's Roger Federer-Rafael Nadal final. NBC? Well, the Today Show followed by, in Chicago at least, the Martha Stewart Show. I mean, I'm all for learning how to turn my hydrangeas blue instead of pink, but come on. Can you imagine seeing that during the NFC Championship Game coming to you on tape, a few hours later?

Apparently, that's the plan with Murray-Roddick.

---

---

If you're reading this, and the match is still going on, well, I do happen to have some advice. At least, I thought I did. Go to the Wimbledon website, and you can purchase the matches live through your computer.

They promote the thing big on their site; you can't miss it. But, assuming you live in the U.S., this is what you get:

"Unfortunately, due to rights restrictions in your territory, you are not able to purchase Wimbledon live."

NBCsports.com has been showing live matches through the tournament. But not this match.

OK then. In other words, NBC and ESPN, which have contracted in some way to lock you out.

Sorry guys, but it's 2009, not 1975. You cannot hide the news until later this afternoon.

Roddick won the first set, by the way. As I write this, he's down 4-3 in the second.

Tennis has had a resurgence in the past year or so, stats show it from TV ratings to hits on tournament websites to attendance. Wimbledon broke its attendance record this year. The U.S. Open broke its record last year. Numbers show a big increase in racquet sales and number of people playing in the U.S.

And then the last American man standing at Wimbledon, Roddick, who is playing the best he has ever played, is facing Murray, a Brit trying to win this thing for the first time since the 1930s. This is a selling-point moment for tennis, but apparently, tennis has sold itself out, taking the TV dollars without regard to how its product will be shown.

If you want to be a mainstream sport, and not a niche, then you can't allow this to happen.

Just imagine the buzz on this court now. Live.

Radio Wimbledon! It's also on the Wimbledon website. Try listening to it.

I dare you.

The guy is talking so fast, trying to keep up with each shot. It isn't working. "Backhand by Roddick, pushed to the forehand of Murray, great shot down the line to Roddick. Roddick runs to the . . .blah, blah, rat-a-tat-blat-blat. SOLD!"

It sounds like an auction.

The other day, ESPN2 announcers said they couldn't, under contract, show the Venus Williams match. It was under embargo for the use of NBC. So instead, ESPN2 showed Venus' post-match press conference, and guess what? It wasn't hard to figure out from the questions about her victory that she had won. By the time NBC got around to it, well, Martha Stewart would have been more interesting.

This whole "internet" thing must really be a burden to NBC. A buddy of mine has been going to the Challenger level pro tournament all week in Chicago, taping Wimbledon on his DVR. He turns off his phone so no one will call with results. He won't listen to the radio in fear that an update will tell him what's happening.

When he sits in the stands, he hears people starting to talk about Wimbledon, he covers his ears. Cover your eyes, cover your ears, isolate yourself.

NBC wants you to do the same thing.

By the way, Murray just won the second set.

Like what you read here? Follow me on Twitter: @gregcouch