Pay-television broadcaster beIN Sport is close to deals for the rights in France to the Wimbledon tennis championships and ATP men’s tournaments, according to L’Équipe.
The newspaper reported today that Al-Jazeera-owned beIN Sport is on the verge of agreeing a three-year deal for Wimbledon rights, from 2014 to 2016, with the IMG Media agency. Rival pay-television broadcaster Canal Plus held the rights in a three-year deal from 2011 to 2013.
BeIN Sport is also expected to win the rights to most ATP Masters 1000 and ATP 500 World Tour events in the same three-year period.
Canal Plus is expected to retain the rights to the Paris Masters in Bercy and the Monte Carlo Masters, which are both France-based ATP Masters 1000 tournaments. They sell their domestic media rights themselves, separate from the package containing the tournaments outside France.
Meanwhile, the domestic rights for the French Open at Roland Garros are to be tendered on September 10. Broadcasters will have until October 10 to table offers. The rights cover the five years from 2014 to 2018.
Public-service broadcaster France Télévisions is the incumbent rights-holder and has televised the tournament since 1987.