
Sky Sports is in the final stages of agreeing to a three-year extension for its live coverage of the US Open, expected to be announced next week alongside the singles draw from Flushing Meadows. This new deal will keep the tournament on Sky until 2030, allowing the broadcaster to air over 12 hours of live tennis daily during the three-week event, including the new mixed-doubles competition that is taking place this week.
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Sky has held the exclusive UK rights to the US Open since 2023, when it secured a five-year deal that replaced Amazon Prime as the rights holder. The decision to bid for the rights was influenced significantly by Emma Raducanu’s remarkable victory at the US Open two years ago, which encouraged Sky to re-enter the tennis market after stepping back in 2017, during which time Amazon acquired both the US Open and combined ATP/WTA tour rights at a lower cost.
Despite the initial boost from Raducanu’s win, she has had limited presence on Sky due to her struggles with injuries and poor form. She will miss the US Open this year because of a stress fracture in her shin incurred before Wimbledon.
Additionally, Sky has secured a five-year exclusive deal for both the ATP and WTA tours beginning in 2024, lasting until 2028, and is currently in discussions to extend that partnership. The network values tennis not only for its extensive content throughout the year but also for its appeal to female audiences, with approximately 60% of its tennis viewership in 2025 being female, compared to just 31% for its overall programming. This demographic is particularly attractive to advertisers.
Meanwhile, Wimbledon will continue to be broadcast on the BBC after the corporation extended its contract until 2033 this summer. Competitive bidding persists for tennis rights, with TNT Sports holding the rights for the Australian Open and French Open.