Gauthier Delomez 11:38 a.m., June 03, 2022

Guests of "Media Culture" live from Roland-Garros, journalist Thibault Le Rol and Amazon Prime Video consultant Marion Bartoli defended the choice of tournament organizers to schedule the Nadal-Djokovic match in the evening session on Tuesday evening, reserving exclusivity for the American platform.

INTERVIEW

It is a program that has caused a lot of ink to flow.

The Roland-Garros quarter-final between Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, a mythical poster qualified as a "final before time", was broadcast exclusively on the private platform Amazon Prime Video on Tuesday evening during a night session which took place ended at 1:30 a.m.

This programming triggered the anger of Delphine Ernotte, the president of France Télévisions, since the public group could not broadcast this match.

Guests of

Media Culture

, journalist Thibault Le Rol and Amazon Prime Video consultant Marion Bartoli responded to the controversy.

>> Follow the 2022 edition on Europe 1, official Roland-Garros radio

Sports equity and promotion of night sessions

"Indeed, it made a lot of noise. Afterwards, I'm a little surprised", first recognizes Thibault Le Rol, who has been working on the platform since its launch.

"Several arguments come into play," defends the journalist.

"First there is sporting fairness. For fairness to be respected, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic had to play in the evening so that Carlos Alcaraz did not play again in the evening", he says at the microphone of Philip Vandel.

Second argument: "Roland-Garros develops these famous night sessions, at night. To develop this idea, it was necessary to have a match broadcast in mondovision, a legendary match. It would have been surprising not to put this match in night session, the new flagship product of Roland-Garros", adds the former sports journalist for beIN Sports and Mediapro.

Thibault Le Rol also recalls the commercial gesture of the American platform.

"We made the effort to offer this match to everyone, to the greatest number, without subscription, on Amazon. So it's a lot of noise, for not much in my opinion", he concludes.

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The coverage of France Télé in question

Former tennis player Mario Bartoli, consultant for Amazon Prime Video, agrees with the opinion of the sports journalist.

It also sweeps away any suspicion of conflict of interest of Amélie Mauresmo, former consultant of the platform and who is today director of the tournament, therefore deciding on the programming of the matches.

"It has nothing to do. Amazon has signed a contract, where it is stipulated that the evening match would be the best match of the day", she underlines in

Media Culture

.

"You will have to explain to me what a better match than Nadal-Djokovic is, so it's just contractual", she relates to Philippe Vandel.

The consultant also points to the bad faith of the public group.

"If France Télévisions wants another contract, they just have to renegotiate it," she says.

"It is logical that the tournament respects its commitments. Delphine (Ernotte) is very nice, but France Télévisions is reducing their broadcasting hours more and more, people are complaining because there is a lot of advertising. The matches are reduced , they put trays where they invite personalities who have nothing to do with tennis. People would prefer to continue watching the match, "lists Marion Bartoli, in an annoyed tone, assuring that Amazon "had taken the side of 'to be 'focus' on tennis, on the show, on the match".

"It was totally logical for Prime Video to have this match", concludes the winner of Wimbledon in 2013. According to specialized sources, the American platform would give more money to the tournament than France Télévisions does: 15 million euros instead ten for public service.