The United States Tennis Association has confirmed a five-year deal with Amazon that grants the internet company exclusive live rights in the UK and Ireland to the US Open grand slam tournament.
The contract, which begins with this year’s US Open and runs through to the 2022 tournament, will bring live and on-demand content at no additional cost to subscribers of the Amazon Prime Video internet video service.
The agreement was first reported in November – and covered in TV Sports Markets 21:21 – but was formally announced by the USTA yesterday (Thursday).
The rights were previously held by sports broadcaster Eurosport, which sublicensed rights to pay-television broadcaster Sky. Eurosport announced in November it had extended its pan-European rights deal for the US Open, excluding the UK and Ireland.
In November, Amazon announced its first major sports-rights deal in the UK: the ATP World Tour in a five-year agreement, from 2019 to 2023.
In May, Amazon struck a deal to offer Eurosport channels via Prime Video in the UK. With Eurosport having UK rights to the Australian Open and French Open and non-exclusive rights to Wimbledon, Amazon will now be able to offer all four grand slams.
Alex Green, managing director of channels and sports for Prime Video Europe, said: “This prestigious event, along with the other exciting tennis coming this year and next, makes Prime Video a destination for tennis fans in the UK and Ireland.”
The 2018 US Open takes place from August 27 to September 9 and is the 50th anniversary of the tournament.