Eurosport will become the exclusive live broadcaster of Roland Garros in the UK from 2022.
Discovery, which owns the pay-TV broadcaster, has struck a new five-year European-wide rights agreement with the French Tennis Federation (FFT), which will see Eurosport and Discovery platforms cover the French Open for UK audiences until at least 2026.
The new rights deal, which starts in 2022, extends Eurosport’s relationship with the Grand Slam event to over 35 years, having covered its first Roland-Garros in 1989.
Eurosport will continue to provide extensive live multi-court coverage throughout the 15-day tournament across Eurosport’s TV channels and online platforms, as well as expert analysis, interviews and behind the scenes features across its various outlets.
The exclusive agreement with Eurosport and Discovery platforms from 2022 brings ITV Sport’s free-to-air coverage of the tournament to an end after a decade.
However, the deal does include provision for some coverage to be broadcast on Discovery-owned free-to-air channels, such as Quest, which simulcasts a selection of Eurosport’s coverage of sporting events, such as snooker and superbikes.
Commenting on the new five-year deal, Andrew Georgiou, president of Eurosport, said:
“Our relationship with Roland-Garros spans many years and during that time we have consistently delivered ever increasing viewership and engagement as the trusted partner of the FFT.
“Our coverage is recognised for reaching the widest audience by harnessing the greatest expertise and the most innovative technology, and by committing to a renewed long-term partnership with the FFT, we will continue to bring world-class tennis from Roland-Garros to millions of fans each year across Europe.”
Gilles Moretton, FFT president, added:
“Our Grand Slam teaming up with Discovery, a company with such extensive reach, illustrates how Roland-Garros has stepped up its ambitions on the international stage. With this partnership, our shared aim is to offer a unique experience to all of Roland-Garros’ European fans.”
Eurosport has reported strong year-on-year growth in the audiences for its digital coverage of Roland Garros across Europe. Audiences for its online platforms in the UK were up by 24% over the first eight days of the 2021 tournament, compared to 2020.
Along with Roland Garros, Eurosport also covers the Davis Cup Finals exclusively in the UK. Its contract to show live UK coverage of the Australian Open expired at the end of the 2021 tournament.
For a full list of all forthcoming major tennis tournaments on the box, visit SOTB’s dedicated tennis on TV listings page.
