Amazon has strengthened its position within the sports broadcasting sector with the acquisition of WTA tennis tour from BT Sports from 2020, according to SportBusiness Media.
The deal acts as a continuation of Amazon’s commitment to tennis, with it previously striking a deal for the ATP World Tour 1000 and 500 rights from Sky Sports in 2017.
From next season, Amazon will also make its debut in the UK football media sector, with it securing the rights to one round of Premier League games a season, from 2019 to 2022.
Whilst Amazon has the financial power to acquire a far more significant stake in the sports media landscape, it’s thought that the platform is undertaking a tentative approach and assessing the market, before potentially altering to a more aggressive strategy.
On the other hand, given the volume of coverage that BT Sports has given tennis in recent years, the loss of the rights will be seen as a disappointment for the UK pay TV platform.
It follows a report that from the start of the 2021 season the FA Cup is also set to leave BT and be aired on ITV.
The reported rights acquisition will see English football’s cup competition aired exclusively on free television for the first time in more than 30 years, with the BBC picking up the only other domestic package.
