Faced with doubts about its post-NBA future, Warner Bros. Discovery has reportedly picked up one of the few other sports properties currently up for bid, the French Open.
Warner Bros. Discovery has acquired rights to the French Open tennis tournament starting next year, Brian Steinberg of Variety was first to report Friday, marking the first tennis Grand Slam on the networks once known as Turner Sports since Wimbledon in the early 2000s. The French Open had aired on NBC continuously since 1983.
According to Andrew Marchand of The Athletic, the deal is worth $650 million over ten years.
Per Variety, WBD will carry French Open coverage across its linear cable networks and the Max streaming service. It is not clear whether Tennis Channel would continue to carry the tournament.
The French Open is the third major property WBD has added to its domestic stable since its formation two years ago, joining NASCAR and the College Football Playoff. It should be noted that the NASCAR and CFP deals are limited in scope, with WBD carrying only five Cup Series races and 2-4 playoff games per year.
The French Open and CFP deals were struck amidst WBD’s negotiations with the NBA, which are widely expected to result in TNT Sports losing rights to a property it has owned for 40 years. WBD executives, including president and CEO David Zaslav, have stressed the breadth of the company’s sports offerings as a defense against the potential loss of its flagship property.
i doubt this will be like nbc coverage. i guess from a business standpoint it makes sense for wbd
the last tennis major on broadcast tv heads to cable/streaming (tnt/tbs/trutv/max). i guess it makes sense from business standpoint for wbd. will 70% of the tourney will be exclusive on max?
Not the last major on broadcast. Wimbledon middle weekend is on ABC and starting this year the Men’s Final at the US Open will be on ABC. It’s just the end for NBC.
Is this why the tournament as a whole was a disaster? From scheduling, to athletes getting stomach sickness, to bad line calls & idiotic reffing! The worst coverage ever.
Wow, this came out of left field. But I wonder how it’s going to work. Tennis channel the whole way and Turner for the Finals like NBC did? Or Turner gets full 2 week coverage. Also will Ian Eagle be the voice of the French now? What is sad is that NBC has now lost both Wimbledon and the French which means the US Open Men’s Final on ABC will be the only championship on broadcast. Definitely the end of an era for NBC after decades of having two slams.
So does this mean this year is the last time NBC will air the tournament as part of this deal? (Or will WBD replace the Tennis channel side of the deal?)
Noah Eagle is one and done perhaps with Tennis. Ian Eagle works for Turner Sports, so imagine father replacing son?
Please tell me it still won’t be like it has been with NBC where they barely cover the tournament and to watch specific matches I have to watch shady streams. I don’t like ESPN, but I wish they were getting it because they make it easy to watch any match.
Honestly… This makes perfect sense once one realizes that Eurosport, which is basically Turner Sport’s European division, has carried the FO for over 20 years by now.
This is a surprise.
Do you know if this is replacing NBCs coverage? And will include both men’s and women’s finals?
It would have to be. The only question to me is whether Tennis Channel will still have some role (which I doubt).