WBD extends US Open rights deal across Europe
February 14, 2023
Warner Bros Discovery (WBD) has extended its rights to show the US Open in 45 markets across Europe, including exclusive access in 42 territories, after reaching a new five-year agreement with the United States Tennis Association (USTA).
The deal includes live and highlights rights with every match on every court available to stream on discovery+ and the Eurosport App in addition to live television coverage during the tournament on Eurosport 1 and 2. Markets including the Nordics will also have the option to showcase the best matches on WBD’s free-to-air channels, expanding the reach of the tournament further.
The renewed partnership means that Eurosport will extend its association with the year’s final Grand Slam beyond 25 years after first broadcasting the tournament in 2001.
Trojan Paillot, Vice President, Sports Rights Acquisitions and Syndication, Warner Bros Discovery Europe, said: “As the undisputed ‘home of tennis’, our brand is synonymous with the sport. Over the past 25 years, we have brought some of the most memorable moments in US Open history to fans while consistently growing tournament viewership across Europe. As a trusted partner to the USTA, we have developed a proven strategy to harness the full scale of our channels and platforms to screen coverage to the widest possible audience. This combined with our unrivalled tennis expertise, technology and storytelling ability means we offer fans a deeper and more engaging viewing experience year after year. We look forward to further extending our relationship with this historic tournament to enable us to unlock the power of tennis for viewers across our markets to enjoy.”
The news comes after WBD reported record audience engagement in many major markets following the 2022 US Open. This includes the best ever streaming performance on its digital platforms, doubling its audience year-on-year on discovery+, and securing the highest ever viewership on Eurosport 2 with the channel dedicated to screening coverage of locally relevant stars in each market.