Sports Entertainment Network (SEN), the multi-platform Australian media company, will continue its exclusive domestic radio coverage of the Australian Open tennis tournament after striking a three-year rights renewal with governing body Tennis Australia.
The renewal will see SEN remain the grand slam’s official radio broadcast partner and retain its exclusive AM broadcast rights to the tournament until 2024.
Under the deal, SEN will provide coverage throughout the tournament, including the finals, to listeners around Australia and New Zealand through its dedicated 24-hour tennis channel on the SEN app.
Key matches will also be aired across more than 60 SEN stations, including SEN 1116am (Melbourne), SEN 1170am (Sydney), SENQ 693am (Brisbane), and SENZ Auckland 1476am.
The coverage will be sponsored by Kia, the South Korean car brand and major partner of the Australian Open.
SEN chief executive Craig Hutchinson said: “We are excited to continue our partnership with Tennis Australia and KIA for the iconic Australian Open over the next three years.
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By GlobalData“The Australian Open is a staple of the Australian summer, and we’re proud to play a part in serving up all the action for tennis fans, giving them unprecedented coverage to the first grand slam of the new year.”
The deal is the latest for Tennis Australia as it gears up to stage the tournament’s 111th edition from January 16 to 29, 2023.
Earlier this month, prominent pay-TV operator Sky New Zealand renewed its broadcast agreement, taking its coverage towards 35 years. Under that deal, Sky will run four dedicated channels, 16 different court feeds via its Sky Go streaming service, and select free-to-air (FTA) broadcasts.
At the same time, Sony Pictures Network, the Indian heavyweight pay-TV broadcaster, also extended its exclusive rights deal covering the tournament until 2025 in India, as well as Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, the Maldives, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.
Last month, meanwhile, Tennis Australia confirmed Australian commercial broadcaster Nine Network extended its rights agreement for the grand slam covering the 2025 to 2029 seasons in a deal reportedly worth a record AUD425 million ($283 million).
The extensive deal included rights to subscription television, subscription video on demand, streaming, mobile, social media, and highlights, which it will air across its linear channels and streaming service Stan.
This year’s tournament delivered strong viewership results for the broadcaster, with the women’s final between Australia’s now-retired Ashleigh Barty and America’s Danielle Collins generating a record domestic audience of 3.835 million.
The men’s final, meanwhile, delivered the country’s highest audience since 2018 with 2.333 million viewers tuning in to see Spanish legend Rafael Nadal beat Russia’s Daniil Medvedev.
Image: Darrian Traynor/Getty Images