Canadian pay-television broadcaster TSN has strengthened its tennis portfolio with the addition of rights to the WTA Tour and season-ending WTA Finals.
The deal took effect yesterday (Sunday) as TSN showed coverage of the Qatar Open. The agreement also includes the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, the Miami Open, the Mutua Madrid Open, Rome’s Internazionali BNL d’Italia, the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati, the Wuhan Open, China Open and WTA Finals in Shenzhen.
The deal is non-exclusive as rights in Canada are already held by subscription OTT platform DAZN. The agreement adds exposure in the country as 19-year-old Canadian Bianca Andreescu, the world number four, continues her rise in the women’s game.
Michael Downey, president and chief executive of Tennis Canada, said: “This is great news for tennis fans in Canada as tennis coverage across the country is continuing to grow. It is essential for women’s tennis to take a more prominent place in the dissemination of tennis in Canada and this will be achieved with this new agreement between the WTA and TSN.”
The broadcaster’s tennis coverage will be spread across TSN’s five linear channels, TSN’s digital streaming platforms and the multiplex offer on TSN.ca when multiple matches are played at once.
The WTA rights inventory adds to TSN’s exclusive rights to all four Grand Slam tournaments and comprehensive coverage of the men’s ATP World Tour.
WTA Media is one of several joint-venture partnerships involving the DAZN Group after the streaming company acquired global WTA media rights in a 10-year deal, from 2017 to 2026, worth $525m (€478m) over the duration of the contract.