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.
The agreement will continue to fuel the growth of the sport across the country, the Australian Open and other major events.
“Nine has shown a serious year-round commitment to continue to grow tennis,” Tennis Australia CEO Craig Tiley said today.
“Together we have regularly set and exceeded targets for ourselves in what has been a highly productive partnership thus far. This new deal further strengthens that relationship in which our organisations work as a true co-operative on the broadcast, production, innovation and promotion of our events and sport. It will ensure we are reaching audiences of all ages and backgrounds across multiple platforms with high quality product.
“We want to show our sport at its best to continually excite tennis fans, while also appealing to a new generation of fans and players across Australia. This new deal will certainly help us do that.”
“We are pleased to announce the extension of the partnership between Nine and Tennis Australia,” Nine CEO Mike Sneesby said.
“Tennis attracts both a broad and very passionate following, and is a perfect fit with Nine’s schedule, audiences and advertisers. The Australian Open has delivered some of Australia’s most iconic sporting moments and largest television audiences and together, we are committed to bringing these great moments to all Australians live and free.”
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%.
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.
*According to OzTam
