The French Tennis Federation (FFT), organizer of the annual French Open (Roland Garros) tennis major, has renewed its broadcast agreement with international pay-TV heavyweight BeIN Sports, covering the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and Asia.
This new agreement, which will run for five years through the 2031 edition of the ‘Grand Slam’ tournament, will span 34 international territories, with coverage disseminated across the BeIN Sports linear channels and its OTT streaming services TOD by BeIN (in the MENA Market) and BeIN Sports Connect (Asia).
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BeIN has held the rights in 24 MENA territories for around 20 years, most recently renewing in 2023 on a four-year deal that expired following the recent 2026 edition.
In 2023, it also added the 10 Asian markets to the mix, that deal also expiring this year.
Now, the broadcaster will retain widespread control of the rights for another five-year stint, extending its coverage to nearly a decade across the 34 markets.
Speaking on the deal, BeIN Media Group chief sports officer Richard Verow said: “Extending our nearly 20-year partnership with Roland-Garros reflects our commitment to bringing world-class tennis to fans across MENA and Asia, as the sport continues to grow in popularity.
“We remain committed to delivering premium coverage and access to the prestigious clay court Grand Slam, ensuring BeIN subscribers can enjoy the tournament’s most defining moments for years to come.”
Stephane Morel, FFT chief executive, added: “[BeIN’s] continued commitment and the quality of their coverage have strengthened the tournament’s visibility across the MENA and Asia regions.”
In MENA, the 24 territories included in the deal are: Algeria, Bahrain, Chad, Djibouti, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen.
In six of these markets, namely: Chad, Djibouti, Somalia, Mauritania, South Sudan and Sudan, BeIN’s rights are non-exclusive, owing to the fact that BeIN's coverage in those markets intercedes with the rights held by Canal+-owned African TV giant Supersport.
Represented in the Asian market as part of the deal, meanwhile, are: Brunei, Cambodia, East Timor, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand.
This announcement comes amid the news that Roland Garros has become the first of the sport’s four ‘Grand Slam’ majors to offer players a percentage share of tournament revenue, in a bid to ameliorate ongoing protests from participants over prize money disbursement.
Though an agreement has not been confirmed, an offer has been tabled to the representative of the players' union, indicating the FFT’s willingness to reach an agreement with the sport’s elite competitors.
It is known that the union of players desires revenues of around 16% of each grand slam to be disbursed as prize money, a figure that could rise to 22% by 2030.
With the Australian Open, Wimbledon, and Roland Garros all already completed in 2026, it will be the upcoming US Open next month that bears the most scrutiny now over its revenue-sharing practices, or rather lack thereof.
