Stan Sports, the streaming service of Australian commercial broadcaster Nine Network, will provide extensive coverage of the top-tier WTA women’s tennis tour after securing a sub-licensing deal with rightsholder BeIN Sports, the international pay-TV operator.
Under the deal, Stan Sport will air the full WTA calendar, including top-tier 1000, second-tier 500, and third-tier 250-level events, as well as the season-ending WTA Finals, totalling more than 50 tournaments per season.
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Stan’s coverage will start with the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells in the US from tomorrow.
BeIN Sports holds rights to the WTA in Australia, France, and Turkey as part of a long-term agreement struck ahead of the 2022 season and running through this year.
The rights add to Stan Sports’ portfolio of tennis, having secured rights to all four Grand Slam tournaments – the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon Championships, and the US Open – in separate deals struck with each tournament’s respective tennis federation, as well as the women’s Billie Jean King Cup and men’s Davis Cup national teams competitions.
Other women’s sporting action covered (or set to be covered) by Stan Sport includes English soccer’s Women’s Super League, the 2029 Women’s Rugby World Cup, and the recently concluded Olympic Games.
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By GlobalDataAmanda Laing, managing director of streaming and broadcast at Nine, said: “We’re pleased to welcome the WTA Tour to Stan Sport and continue building a destination for world-class women’s sport.
“Our commitment to premium sport is defined by the caliber of the events we broadcast, and the WTA Tour is a vital addition to our market-leading portfolio.”
The deal comes as women’s tennis enjoys a surge in popularity, headlined by star players including Aryna Sabalenka, Elena Rybakina (Australian Open champion), Iga Swiatek, and Coco Gauff.
Australian players featured on the tour include Maya Joint, Ajla Tomljanovic, Daria Saville, Olivia Gadecki, and Kimberly Birrell.
The deal comes after Nine secured high viewership numbers for its coverage of this year’s Australian Open, which concluded last month, reaching 14.31 million Australians across the two-year broadcast – an increase of 9.3% year-on-year.
The women’s singles final, which saw Elena Rybakina defeat Aryna Sabalenka, delivered a national total television reach of 3.8 million – a 30.1% increase YoY.
Elsewhere in Australian sports broadcasting, Ted Helliar has been appointed director of engagement, community, and fandom of rival subscription streamer Kayo Sports and sister-service Fox Sports as parent company DAZN, the international sports streaming giant, looks to deepen connections between its platforms and sports fans.
Helliar steps into the newly created role on March 16 and will report to Cate Hefele, managing director – go to market, having previously served as chief fan officer at Australian basketball’s top-tier NBL.
In the role, Helliar will take responsibility for the social and creator teams across Kayo Sports and Fox Sports, with a focus on strengthening relationships with fan communities and growing audience engagement across the platforms.
Before Kayo Sports, Helliar worked at agency network TBWA, where he oversaw major campaigns including the FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Hilary Perchard, chief executive of Kayo Sports, Binge, and Foxtel, has said: “Our brands are among the most loved in Australia and, as we continue to grow, we’re doubling down on what matters most, our fans.
“To take fan engagement to the next level across Kayo Sports and Fox Sports, we’re creating a dedicated role focused on building deeper, more meaningful connections with the communities that power our success and allow us to invest in the growth of Australian sport.
“Across his career, Ted has worked closely with leagues, clubs, athletes, creators, broadcasters, and commercial partners, and is energized by the opportunity to help position Kayo and Fox Sports as Australia’s leading sports platform by building a living fandom that strengthens both fans and Australian sport.”
The appointment comes days after Kayo Sport confirmed it has extended its rights deal with motor racing’s Formula 1 ahead of the championship’s first race of the 2026 season this weekend.
Along with F1, Foxtel’s motorsports offering includes every race across Supercars, MotoGP, Nascar, the World Superbike Championship, the Australian Rally Championship, the Shannons SpeedSeries, and the GT World Challenge.
