Tennis Australia extends ESPN partnership

ESPN expands broadcast partnership.

Tennis Australia has expanded its partnership with ESPN International, which will see ESPN broadcast the Australian Open across Brazil, the Caribbean and Latin America.

The new 10-year agreement will allow the fans to follow all Australian Open events, including the AO Qualifying Tournament, the AO Junior Championships, the AO Wheelchair Championships, the AO Legends, the Asia-Pacific Wildcard Play-offs and the Adelaide International ATP 250 tournament.

Craig Tiley, Australian Open Tournament Director, commented:

“ESPN is renowned for its quality tennis coverage on and off court and we’re delighted to announce an extension of our partnership for a further decade.

“It was clear from the start of our relationship that ESPN shared our vision around innovation and delivery of highly engaging content for our fans. We look forward to continuing our work together to bring the most comprehensive and compelling AO coverage to fans across the region.”

Australian Open and ESPN first partnered in 1998, and the new deal will see the partnership continue on for more than three decades, till 2031. 

ESPN will also be gaining linear and digital rights to the Australian Open and lead-in tournaments and more than 200 hours of coverage as well as additional online reporting across its digital platforms.

Tim Bunnell, Senior Vice President of production, programming and acquisitions, marketing and advertising sales, ESPN, added:

“We are proud to be the home of the Australian Open across Latin America and the Caribbean.

“For over 20 years, ESPN has been committed to showcasing the best of the tournament to fans – providing the most comprehensive live coverage across multiple platforms networks. We are excited and thrilled to extend our agreement with Tennis Australia. The Australian Open will continue to be a vital component of our Grand Slam coverage and other major tennis events scheduled on ESPN’s platforms throughout the year.”