Australian network Nine has acquired the broadcast rights to Wimbledon and the French Open Grand Slam tennis competitions, wrapping up three-year-deals for both tournaments, which begin in 2021.
All matches from the two competitions will be aired on the network’s premium streaming service Stan Sport which was unveiled last week. This includes singles, doubles, mixed doubles, juniors and wheelchair tennis. A handful of matches will also be shown on Nine’s free-to-air channels.
“Today’s announcement sees us secure two of the world’s great tennis tournaments and gives us the flexibility to develop the right mix of games which will appear on free-to-air television while ensuring all games are available to Stan Sport subscribers live and ad-free on Stan,” Hugh Marks, Nine Chief Executive remarked.
The deals were secured through the IMG agency, which distributes the rights to Wimbledon worldwide and the French Open offerings to Australia, Japan and Latin America.
“We are very happy to have signed this agreement with Nine,” French Tennis Federation President, Bernard Giudicelli commented.
“The multiple viewing platforms they offer will only increase the renown of Roland-Garros Down Under, where tennis fans boast a real passion for the game, and we would also like to thank Fox and SBS for their dedication in promoting Roland-Garros these past few years.”
The free-to-air broadcaster has taken over the contracts from Foxtel and Seven, which previously offered the French Open and Wimbledon respectively.
Mike Desmond, Commercial and Media Director for the All England Lawn Tennis Club, added: “We are delighted to be announcing a return to Channel Nine’s multiple platforms as our exclusive broadcast partner for The Championships in Australia.
“Wimbledon has a long and proud history in Australia, and we look forward to seeing The Championships unfold across Nine’s impressive network.”