Tennis Australia has announced a momentous five-year extension of its broadcast partnership with the 9Network, ensuring Nine is the home of tennis until 2029.
The new five-year deal (from 2025 to 2029) includes a $425 million cash component plus considerable additional value in contra, retained rights and promotion, making it the biggest in the history of Tennis Australia.
Nine has acquired the exclusive live rights (including Free To Air, subscription television, SVOD, streaming, mobile and social media), together with extensive catch-up rights, to the Australian Open as well as the lead up tournaments around Australia – the United Cup, the Adelaide International, and the Hobart International – and the Australian team matches in the Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Cup.
The average annual cash rights fee over the five-year period is $85m, starting lower and indexing over the term of the deal. Nine will also support Tennis Australia with contra, services and promotion over the duration of the agreement. while Nine didnt specify the amount of contra, sources said it was over $10m a year.
The agreement will continue to fuel the growth of the sport across the country, the Australian Open and other major events.
The five-year deal gives the Nine Network the domestic broadcast rights for the Australian Open and summer of tennis lead-in events, including the brand-new global teams competition, the United Cup and other special events.
This year’s Australian Open women’s final was the highest rating of all time, watched by an Australian television audience of 3.835 million*.
The men’s final was the highest rating in four years, with a domestic TV audience of 2.333 million* viewers.
The all-Aussie men’s doubles final was the highest rating Australian Open men’s doubles match of all time, with 2.482 million* tuning in across the country.
And on 9Now, more than 657 million minutes of Australian Open coverage was streamed, representing a year-on-year increase of 171 per cent.
The new agreement follows extensive negotiations and some spirited competition, with a big focus on having content in the right places for ease of consumer access as well as promotion of the sport.
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