ESPN, USTA Extend Relationship With New 12-Year Agreement for U.S. Open Tennis

As a lifelong sports enthusiast who has spent countless hours glued to my television set, I couldn’t be happier about ESPN and the United States Tennis Association extending their partnership for another 12 years. I remember the excitement of the first U.S. Open match I watched on ESPN back in 2009, and it feels like a dream come true to know that this relationship will continue well into the future.


ESPN and the US Tennis Association have prolonged their partnership by signing a fresh 12-year contract, ensuring that the U.S. Open will remain on ESPN until 2037.

The extended agreement, starting in 2026 and representing ESPN’s longest-lasting tennis contract, will maintain ESPN as the primary broadcaster for the entire U.S. Open within the United States, Latin America, the Caribbean, and Canada (on TSN and RDS). Under this new deal, the USTA will assume the role of host broadcaster from ESPN, allowing ESPN to redirect its production resources towards more than 260 hours of annual coverage in the U.S., as well as numerous hours for international markets.

The agreement will extend streaming privileges for ESPN, allowing them to present more options for U.S. viewers to access U.S. Open content. This includes daily live broadcasts on ESPN2 and the dissemination of this year’s primetime exhibition events via ESPN platforms. Furthermore, it encompasses the availability of matches played across all courts every day.

Since 2009, ESPN has been airing U.S. Open tennis matches alongside CBS. However, after striking a deal in 2015, Disney-owned ESPN took over the entire tournament, with broadcasting rights extending until 2025.

“ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro expressed great joy in our 15-year partnership with the USTA. He made this announcement, stating that the deal underscores ESPN’s continued dedication to tennis and its ability to highlight one of the most significant annual sporting events. Moreover, as the pioneer in sports for offering equal prize money for both male and female competitors, this agreement showcases The Walt Disney Company’s leading industry support for women’s sports.”

The agreement introduces round-the-clock broadcasting on ESPN+ starting during the initial week of the 2026 U.S. Open tournament. Meanwhile, ABC will carry the matches played on the middle and final Sundays. Furthermore, ESPN Deportes will create daily Spanish-language coverage within the U.S. The deal also provides ESPN with limited rights to sub-license.

The arrangement was facilitated by IMG, who represents the USTA in media rights. In a statement, Hillary Mandel, Executive Vice President and Head of Americas, Media at IMG, expressed that this ESPN contract is revolutionary, not just for the USTA and US Open, but for tennis on a global scale. “The fresh agreement will significantly enhance the visibility, production, marketing, content, and financial investment of this iconic, captivating Grand Slam event,” said Mandel. “This will guarantee an unprecedented increase in year-on-year growth for the next decade and beyond.”

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2024-08-29 00:17