Public-service broadcaster France Télévisions is close to agreeing an extension to its rights deal for the French Open tennis tournament, according to L’Equipe.
The French newspaper said France Télévisions is set to agree terms with Fédération Française de Tennis, the governing body of tennis in France, for the next five editions of the grand slam tournament at Roland Garros in Paris, from 2014 to 2018.
Michel Grach, the FFT’s director of media and partnerships, said: “We're confident of reaching an agreement where everyone will come out on top.”
The FFT last month reviewed its tender for the next cycle of media rights to the French Open after receiving only two bids.
French newspaper Le Parisien said previous rights holder, France Télévisions, entered a bid, along with pay-television broadcaster Eurosport. However, both offers failed to meet the terms of the tender.
Unlike the tender for the previous rights cycle, the FFT elected to make separate rights packages available for mobile, free-to-air television and all broadcasters, potentially allowing pay-television broadcasters to enter bids.