The governing body of tennis in the United Kingdom (UK), the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) has developed a four-year domestic broadcast rights deal with the Tennis Channel, the US network dedicated to tennis.
The television network will deliver domestic coverage of the LTA’s professional grass-tour tournaments in Nottingham, Queen’s in London, Birmingham, and Eastbourne for the next four years, according to a deal struck by the Swedish agency, Spring Media.
Tennis Channel’s programming of the Nottingham event will be limited to the women’s Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) side, while all four events will also receive domestic coverage from the BBC‘s iPlayer internet streaming service. The BBC will also broadcast Eastbourne and Queen’s on linear television.
Tennis Channel will be covering both the singles and doubles events at these championships. Coverage has already begun on June 10 in Nottingham, and the event runs through June 16.
The LTA has stated that, in addition to live event coverage, the agreement with Tennis Channel would include fresh content and activations to increase the sport’s profile.
The LTA is also giving fans a 30% discount voucher for Tennis Channel memberships. Additionally, fans will have access to broadcast coverage of the LTA’s events in Ilkely and Roehampton via the governing body’s internet and digital channels.
Chris Pollard, LTA’s Managing Director for Commercial and Operations, said, “The Tennis Channel [has] a proven track record in the USA, and we’re excited to be partnering with them to bring their same high-quality coverage to fans in Britian. We’re looking forward to working with them to deliver a great offering for fans who want the widest possible coverage of our events. We are also very pleased to once again be partnering with the BBC to ensure that all our tour events are available free-to-air and deliver visibility for tennis, during what will be a busy summer of sport.”
Andy Reif, Senior VP, Programming and International at Tennis Channel, commented, “The grass court season is such a special time of year for British tennis fans. Everyone at Tennis Channel is so excited to be able to showcase these amazing LTA tournaments and bring our expert, round-the-clock coverage to Nottingham, Birmingham, Queen’s and Eastbourne – from the first ball to the last.”