RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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Raducanu’s 2021 win played big role in Sky interest
Sky’s tennis audience in 2025 was 60% female
Sky Sports has agreed a new deal to extend its live coverage of the US Open.
The three-year contract extension, which is set to be announced when the singles from Flushing Meadows begin next week, will keep the US Open live on Sky until 2030.
Under the terms of the new deal, Sky will broadcast more than 12 hours of live tennis each day across the extended three-week tournament, including the new mixed doubles event, which is taking place this week.
Sky has had exclusive live UK rights to the US Open since 2023 when the broadcaster secured a five-year deal to replace the previous rights holder, Amazon Prime.
It was the interest created by Emma Raducanu’s stunning US Open victory two years previously that played a big role in persuading Sky to bid for the rights, having walked away from tennis in 2017, which enabled Amazon to pick up both the US Open and combined ATP/WTA tour rights on the cheap.
Ironically, Raducanu has not featured much on Sky’s coverage as the world No 68 has struggled with injuries and poor form, and will miss this year’s US Open due to a stress fracture in her shin sustained in the buildup to Wimbledon.
Sky subsequently agreed a five-year deal for exclusive UK rights for both the ATP and WTA tours in 2024, which is due to run until 2028. The Guardian has also learned that Sky wants to extend that partnership, with talks over a new deal currently taking place.
In addition to the large volume of content across 11 months of the year provided by tennis, Sky also values the sport as it is very popular with women and delivers a disproportionately high female audience.
Sky’s tennis viewership in 2025 was around 60% female, almost double the 31% figure for its overall coverage, and is therefore extremely useful in attracting new advertisers and different brands.
While Wimbledon will remain on the BBC for the foreseeable future after the corporation extended its contract until 2033 this summer, there is competition in the market for the rest of the tennis calendar, with TNT Sports holding the rights for both the Australian and French Open.
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