In a significant development, ESPN, co-owned by The Walt Disney Company DIS extended its partnership with the United States Tennis Association (USTA), ensuring the U.S. Open tennis tournament will be aired on ESPN through 2037, according to an announcement by ESPN.
What Happened: The 12-year extension, beginning in 2026, is ESPN’s longest tennis contract to date. It also reaffirms ESPN’s exclusive broadcasting rights for the entire U.S. Open in Latin America, the Caribbean, and Canada on TSN and RDS, with ESPN Deportes remaining the exclusive Spanish-language broadcaster in the U.S.
As part of the new agreement, USTA will assume host broadcaster duties from 2026, enabling ESPN to focus its production resources on the extensive coverage planned for the U.S. and international territories.
USTA CEO and Executive Director Lew Sherr highlighted the increased participation in tennis, attributing it to the shared commitment to expand the sport’s reach.
What It Matters: This extended partnership comes in the wake of ESPN’s strategic shift towards a streaming model. In 2023, ESPN had initiated preliminary talks with the National Football League and the National Basketball Association for potential partnerships.
Notably, in September 2023, Walt Disney intervened to resolve a cable blackout crisis, ensuring the uninterrupted broadcast of the U.S. Open tennis matches. This move further demonstrates Disney’s commitment to sports programming, particularly through ESPN.
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This story was generated using Benzinga Neuro and edited by Pooja Rajkumari
© 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
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