The US Open will continue to air on ESPN for the foreseeable future, at no small cost.
ESPN announced on Wednesday It has extended its relationship with the New York City-based tournament with a 12-year deal, extending its ownership of the rights until 2037. Athletic reports The price will be $2.04 billion.
This equates to approximately $170 million per year.
The ESPN deal was set to expire after 2025, and this new agreement gives the network exclusive rights in Latin America, the Caribbean and Canada. There will also be expanded broadcast rights and coverage of the tournament’s mid-day and final Sunday on ABC, ESPN’s broadcast partner.
From ESPN:
“We are very proud of our 15-year relationship with the USTA,” said ESPN President Jimmy Pitaro. “This agreement reinforces our long-term dedication to tennis, our ability to present one of the premier events on the annual sporting calendar and, as the first sporting event in the world to offer equal prize money for its male and female competitors, The Walt Disney Company’s industry-leading commitment to women’s sports.”
ESPN also currently holds the rights to Wimbledon and the Australian Open, while the French Open will migrate from NBC and Tennis Channel to TNT in 2025, due to Warner Bros. Discovery’s $650 million, 10-year deal.
The US Open’s higher price tag is due to several factors, but the most obvious is the time-zone advantage of the only Grand Slam to be held in the United States. The tournament has a broader domestic appeal than the other majors and often offers added value beyond broadcasting thanks to the celebrity factor of the players and attendees.
With Roger Federer and Serena Williams retired, Rafael Nadal about to join them and Novak Djokovic aged 37, the deal is also a bet that the tennis world will continue to supply new superstars over the next decade.
