Warner Bros. Discovery’s TNT Sports is set to become the exclusive U.S. broadcaster for the French Open, known as Roland-Garros, starting in 2025. The entertainment giant announced on Tuesday that it has signed a 10-year contract with the French Tennis Federation, averaging about $65 million per year. This significant deal positions Warner Bros. Discovery as the largest global broadcast partner for the prestigious Grand Slam tournament, which attracted 675,000 spectators this year. Since 1989, Warner Bros. Discovery-owned Eurosport has been broadcasting the French Open to 55 countries outside the U.S.
“Roland-Garros perfectly aligns with our global sports strategy and our commitment to adding premium live sports content to our TNT Sports portfolio. We look forward to serving fans with a best-in-class content experience and providing them with direct access to more live Roland-Garros coverage than ever before,” stated Luis Silberwasser, Chairman and CEO of TNT Sports, in the release.
Under the new agreement, matches will be broadcast live on TNT, TBS, and TruTV, with simulcasts available on the company’s streaming platform, Max. Prior to this deal, Comcast’s NBC, its streaming service Peacock, and the Tennis Channel, through a sublicensing arrangement, held the U.S. broadcasting rights for the tournament.
TNT Sports has also announced plans for an on-site presence at the Roland Garros Stadium in Paris, including studio and announcing teams positioned at multiple locations within the venue. Further details on coverage will be revealed in the coming months.
This development coincides with Warner Bros. Discovery’s launch of a joint sports streaming service called Venu, in partnership with Disney’s ESPN and Fox. Set to debut this fall, Venu will feature channels such as TNT, TBS, and TruTV. The addition of the French Open underscores the company’s strategy to invest in live sports, provided the financials justify the investment. Over the past three years, TNT Sports has acquired broadcasting rights for the National Hockey League, NASCAR, U.S. Soccer, the College Football Playoffs (through a sublicensing deal with ESPN), and now the French Open.
In parallel, Warner Bros. Discovery is negotiating to extend its partnership with the NBA for live game broadcasts. While NBCUniversal has expressed interest in acquiring the package of games currently held by TNT Sports, Warner Bros. Discovery is exploring a different set of games.
Amidst the aftermath of the Hollywood writers’ strike and industry-wide cost-cutting measures, including those at Warner Bros. Discovery, media companies are increasingly relying on sports to attract larger audiences and boost advertising revenue.
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