Tencent, a Chinese technology conglomerate, has secured broadcast rights for Wimbledon in a multi-year partnership
One of tennis’ grand slam competitions will be available to Chinese audiences this year up until 2027 on Tencent Video, Tencent Sports, WeChat, and Tencent News.
Audiences will also be offered live broadcasts and replays of matches held at SW19, as well as additional content like match replays, on-demand viewing and highlights.
The three-year deal was signed by Tencent and The All England Lawn Tennis Club and facilitated by IMG.
Jeff Han, VP of Tencent Online Video, said: “An increasing number of people in China are paying attention to and participating in tennis. The cooperation between the All England Club and Tencent will help drive a new wave of tennis enthusiasm.
“We hope that through the broadcast of Wimbledon and high-quality content, more users will be able to experience the charm of this century-old tournament up close.”
The deal represents a new opportunity for both Wimbledon and Tencent to create newfound fandom for the English grand slam tournament and tennis overall.
The current highest-ranked Chinese tennis players on the ATP Rankings are Zhizhen Zhang and Juncheng Shang, ranked 52nd and 54th respectively. Both men finished at the second round of Wimbledon last year.
While Zhang and Shang have been flying the flag for China in men’s competition, it is Zheng Qinwen who has arguably had the most significant contribution to the growth of tennis in the country after winning a gold medal in the women’s singles at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
The 22-year-old Qinwen is poised to have a successful calendar year in 2025 in grand slam competitions. She finished runner-up at the 2024 Australian Open and is currently ranked 8th on the WTA Tour Rankings.
Paul Davies, Associate Director of Broadcast, Production and Media Rights at the All England Club, commented: “We are delighted to be working with Tencent to showcase all the thrilling action from Wimbledon to tennis fans in China.
“Led by Olympic gold medalist and Grand Slam finalist Zheng Qinwen, China has a host of rising tennis talent looking to make their mark on tour. Whether it is live broadcast, match replays, highlights or features, Tencent’s multimedia platforms will ensure fans won’t miss a moment of their favourite players at Wimbledon.”
