Shinai Sports, the Chinese streaming platform, has acquired exclusive domestic broadcast rights to the French Open grand slam tennis tournament until 2025.
Under the three-year agreement, the tournament will be shown across Shinai Sports’ platforms such as the iQIYI sports channel, app, website, and Kiwi TV.
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The deal covers the next three editions of the French Open, beginning with this year’s tournament which takes place from May 28 to June 11 in Paris.
The competition is set to feature several Chinese players including Wu Yibing, Zhang Zhizhen, and Shang Juncheng on the men’s side and Zhang Shuai and Zheng Qinwen in the women’s draw
Last year, 20-year-old Zheng reached the fourth round at Roland Garros for the first time.
Audiences for the French Open have been on the rise in China in recent years, with more than 100 million people watching the grand slam in 2022, a year-on-year increase of 21%, according to official statistics in the country.
Shinai Sports has also broadcast tennis’ three other grand slams – the Australian Open, Wimbledon, and US Open – over the years.
The French Open adds to the streaming service’s rights portfolio in China which includes this year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup, the UEFA Champions League, English Premier League, Italian Serie A, and competitions organized by the Asian Football Confederation.
