Eurosport held the rights to the Australian Open throughout that period, and then added the French Open this year after ITV’s deal ran out. The ATP Tour has been broadcast by Amazon Prime since 2018, with the WTA Tour coming on board two years later. More recently, Amazon Prime have bumped up their sporting offering with football – both Premier League and Champions League – as well as rugby’s autumn internationals. Among those surprised by the information were staff working on the coverage, who were shocked to read about the imminent termination of the deal on Twitter.Īfter a bumpy start, the streaming service won over hardcore tennis fans, who appreciated the knowledge of a studio team led by Catherine Whitaker and Marcus Buckland, while also enjoying the ability to choose which court they wanted to watch.īut there was a downside in the way tennis was off the beaten track for floating sports fans, especially in the early years. News that Amazon Prime will not be bidding in the next auction first emerged in The Times on Tuesday afternoon, and was met by many disappointed comments on social media. The recent US Open was their last, and will leave them without a clear focal point for their final season in 2023.
The moment when Amazon Prime lost the rights to the US Open in April – being unexpectedly outbid by Sky Sports – appears to have triggered the company’s loss of interest in the year-round carousel. However, the four grand-slam events are not included in these rights packages, which limits their commercial appeal. The new process of tendering is underway, with Amazon’s twin deals for the ATP and WTA Tours due to expire at the end of 2023.
AMAZON PRIME US OPEN TV
Sky Sports and Eurosport are likely to be the primary bidders for TV rights to the year-long tennis circuit, after Amazon Prime declined to extend their five-year association with the sport in the UK.īut there are also whispers that Apple TV – which signed deals this year involving the major American baseball and soccer leagues – might look to use tennis as a way into European markets.
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