Warner Bros. Discovery’s TNT Sports has secured the rights to be the exclusive U.S. broadcaster of the French Open, starting in 2025. The 10-year contract, signed with the French Tennis Federation, is worth an average of $65 million per year. This deal makes Warner Bros. Discovery the largest global broadcast partner for the Grand Slam tournament, which drew 675,000 spectators this year.
TNT Sports, owned by Warner Bros. Discovery’s Eurosport, has been broadcasting the French Open to 55 countries outside the U.S. since 1989. With this new agreement, the matches will be aired live on TNT, TBS, and TruTV, as well as on Warner Bros. Discovery’s streaming platform Max. This marks a shift from the previous broadcasting arrangement, which involved Comcast’s NBC and streaming service Peacock, along with the Tennis Channel through a sublicensing deal.
TNT Sports plans to have an on-site presence at the Roland Garros Stadium in Paris, with studio and announcing teams providing comprehensive coverage. The company also intends to announce further details about their coverage in the coming months.
This move by Warner Bros. Discovery comes as they prepare to launch Venu, a joint sports streaming service with Disney’s ESPN and Fox. Venu is set to launch later this year and will include TNT, TBS, and TruTV among its available channels. By acquiring the rights to the French Open, Warner Bros. Discovery continues to show its commitment to adding live sports content to its portfolio.
In recent years, TNT Sports has secured rights for various sports events, including the National Hockey League, NASCAR, U.S. Soccer, and the College Football Playoffs through a sublicensing deal with ESPN. The addition of the French Open further demonstrates their dedication to expanding their sports offerings.
Warner Bros. Discovery is also in negotiations with the NBA to extend their partnership for broadcasting live games. While NBCUniversal has made an offer for the package of games currently carried by TNT Sports, Warner Bros. Discovery is focusing on a different package, according to previous reports from CNBC.
The push for sports broadcasting rights is a common strategy among media giants, especially in the wake of cost-cutting measures and the impact of the Hollywood writers’ strike. Sports programming attracts larger audiences and brings in significant advertising revenue. Warner Bros. Discovery’s investment in live sports aligns with this trend.
As Warner Bros. Discovery continues to expand its sports content, it is positioning itself as a major player in the broadcasting industry. The company’s partnership with the French Tennis Federation for the French Open, along with their upcoming joint sports streaming service, Venu, demonstrates their commitment to delivering premium live sports content to fans. With this new agreement, tennis enthusiasts in the U.S. can look forward to enhanced coverage of one of the most prestigious tournaments in the world.
