The BBC and ATP have announced an extension to their broadcast deal for the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals which will see the tournament broadcast from The O2 in London from 2016 to 2018.
The deal is for free-to-air TV rights and includes broadcasts of eight singles matches across the finals week on BBC TV, including a semi-final and the final, sharing coverage of all these matches with Sky Sports, which will cover the entire tournament live.
The ATP World Tour Finals is the climax to the men’s professional season, featuring the best eight qualified singles players and doubles teams battling it out for the last title of the season.
This season’s finale will see reigning Wimbledon champion, Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic, a winner at The O2 each of the last four years, battle it out to finish the season as world number one.
Announcing the new deal, BBC Director of Sport, Barbara Slater, said:
“We are delighted to extend our deal with the ATP and bring audiences closer to the action than ever before.
“The extension shows our longstanding commitment to ensuring top class tennis reaches the widest possible audience on free to air TV.
“The ATP World Tour Finals remains one of the standout moments in the sporting calendar bringing together the best players in the world to create a truly unique atmosphere.”
Chris Kermode, ATP Executive Chairman and President, added:
“We’re pleased to continue our broadcast partnership with the BBC for a further three years, enabling our season-ending event to be viewed by millions of fans on terrestrial TV in the UK through to 2018.
“This year’s tournament looks set to produce another thrilling finish to the season, with the year-end No.1 ranking coming right down to the wire at The O2.”
In addition to free-to-air ATP World Tour Finals TV rights, the BBC has also secured non-exclusive rights to all ATP World Tour Masters 1000 matches for live radio and online commentary.
