Sky Sport has announced that, in memory of its legendary tennis voice Elena Pero, it will broadcast every tennis match ever played, continuously, until the end of time. The network confirmed that from Monday, all channels will be given over to a single unbroken feed of tennis, with commentators required to work in rotating shifts so that no second of airtime goes un-narrated.
The broadcaster has constructed a new wing of its Milan headquarters to house the operation, with 14 commentary booths staffed around the clock. Each booth is equipped with a bed, a kettle and a framed photograph of Pero, and commentators must sign a pledge never to say the word «goodbye» on air. Sky has also hired 300 additional commentators, most of them former players who have been told they will not be permitted to leave the building until they have called at least one full Grand Slam final from memory.
Viewers have responded by organising watch parties that last for days, and several Italian towns have renamed their piazzas after famous tennis rallies. The network's schedule now includes a permanent slot titled «Elena's Shift», during which a single match is replayed at half speed while a commentator describes each shot as if it were the first time anyone had seen it. Sky has confirmed that the feed will continue even during power cuts, using a backup generator that runs on used tennis balls.
At the end of the first week, the network reported that no employee had yet asked for a day off, and that the phrase «match point» had been officially replaced with «match forever».