ESPN shows it means business with tennis by signing a long term agreement with Tennis Australia to keep the Australian Open on ESPN2 for ten years. Beginning in 2012, the new agreement will last until 2021. ESPN has shown a commitment to tennis by obtaining the rights to all four Grand Slam tournaments and it will keep one that has been aired on ESPN or ESPN2 since 1984.
The agreement includes expanded digital rights which means more streaming on ESPN3.com. We have the press release with the official announcement.
ESPN & Australian Open Agree to 10-Year ExtensionIncludes All ESPN Platforms, Expanded Digital RightsESPN, Inc. and Tennis Australia have reached a new 10-year extension thru 2021 of ESPN’s multimedia coverage of the Australian Open. Having televised the Australian Open – including the women’s and men’s semifinals and finals exclusively – since 1984, this is ESPN’s longest uninterrupted professional sports programming relationship.The new agreement takes effect in 2012 and includes all ESPN platforms. It continues the extensive ESPN2 television coverage, Spanish-language U.S. rights for ESPN Deportes and distribution in Latin America via ESPN International (2012-16). It also includes expanded rights for ESPN3.com, iTV (interactive television), and highlights on ESPN.com and other emerging and digital media, including ESPN Mobile TV.“Tennis fans know to start the year with ESPN and the Australian Open, the First Grand Slam, a great event combining the best in tennis with the beauty of summer from Down Under,” said John Skipper, ESPN executive vice president, content. “In January we expanded live coverage of the Australian Open to great success. We’re happy to work with Tennis Australia across all platforms to reach fans wherever they are.”Steve Wood, CEO of the Australian Open, said, “ESPN’s coverage over the years continues to be both innovative and extensive. The sheer breadth and quality of the coverage is of the highest standard and gives Australian Open fans incredible insight into so many different aspects of our event. We’re delighted to continue this successful relationship.”This year, the Australian Open, exclusively on ESPN2, experienced a six percent increase in household viewership for live play, with an average of 427,000 homes watching the largely overnight telecasts. In addition, the Australian Open accounted for nearly one million hours of action viewed on ESPN3.com, and 10.9 million page views on ESPN.com, more than double the 4.7 of 2009.
That’s it for now.
