Sky Sports secures rights to air ATP and WTA matches in new five-year deal to bring tennis back to the broadcaster… five years after Amazon swiped the £10m-a-year rights

• Sky previously hosted tennis for 25 years before Amazon Prime’s 2018 launch 
• The organisation was long considered the frontrunner to retake the rights 
• British broadcaster will bank on interest in the return of injured Emma Raducanu 

Sky Sports has confirmed that the broadcaster has secured the rights to air ATP and WTA matches with a new five-year deal from 2024. 

The organisation returned to hosting tennis coverage at this year’s US Open after being pipped to signing a new deal for the rights in 2017 by Amazon Prime. 

At the time, it was suggested that the channel’s cutbacks in the face of a rise in the cost of Premier League broadcasting rights had forced the decision to step back from the sport.  

The new agreement will see Sky hold broadcasting rights in Italy, Germany, Austria, and Switzerland as well as UK and Ireland, and is set to air over 80 tournaments. 

The over 4,000 matches aired by the channel will include the Nitto ATP Finals and the WTA Finals, all ATP Masters 1000 and WTA 1000 events, 500s, and 250s events – save for domestic competitions – and the ATP Next Gen Finals.  

Amazon has won the rights to air ATP and WTA matches in a new five-year deal starting 2024

Former British No 1 Tim Henman (pictured) will feature on the coverage, alongside host Gigi Salmon and Laura Robson

The organisation has announced that Gigi Salmon – who previously presented and commentated on the sport for BBC Radio 5Live – will front the coverage, and Sky have also enlisted former British No 1 players Tim Henman and Laura Robson. 

Sky had long been considered the frontrunner to take over the broadcasting rights, but Warner Brothers Discovery – who control the freshly minted TNT Sports were also thought to have an interest. 

Amazon opted not to continue hosting the coverage upon the expiration of their five-year deal. 

Hopes will be high that the broadcaster can draw in viewers with the lure of Emma Raducanu’s comeback, after the 2021 US Open Champion missed a large swathe of the season this year after electing to undertake a string of surgeries. 

The rise of Jack Draper at the tail-end of the season after he too was sidelined by a series of injuries could also compel British viewers to tune in to the channel when it launches next year. 

The broadcaster will hope British interest is piqued by the return of Emma Raducanu after the former US Open champion was sidelined by injuries this season

Source: Read Full Article