Amazon and the U.S. Tennis Association have entered into a five-year deal that gives Amazon Prime Video the exclusive live telecast rights to stream the US Open tennis tournament in the U.K. and Ireland.
The deal, which kicks off at the 2018 US Open, includes live and on-demand content, including live match play that’ll be streamed from the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center from August 27 to September 9, and match highlights.
“We are proud to partner with the USTA to add the US Open to the growing portfolio of sports available on Prime Video,” Alex Green, the managing director of channels and sports for Amazon’s Prime Video Europe group, said in a statement.
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It’ll be available to Prime members in both territories at no additional cost.
SportTechie Takeaway
Amazon is among the many streaming companies and social networks scooping up sports rights in an effort to serve sports fans who have trimmed the traditional cable cord. Amazon has been working to expand its live and original sports content over the past few years. It won the rights to a handful of Thursday Night Football games last NFL season, and its Prime originals include a number of sports-focused movies and series, such as Le Mans: Racing is Everything, GRAND PRIX Driver and two seasons of the behind-the-scenes NFL show All or Nothing.
Additionally this year, Prime Video launched UFC Pay-Per View events in the U.S. and announced plans to deliver live and on-demand coverage of the AVP Pro Beach Volleyball Tour and the Next Gen ATP Finals. In June, Prime members in the U.K. and Ireland will also be able watch live and on-demand content covering the ATP’s Queen’s Club Championships and Eastbourne International, as part of an ATP partnership that will feature 37 ATP World Tour events annually beginning in 2019.
Elsewhere in the marketplace, Verizon partnered with Tennis Channel earlier this year to boost the streaming offerings on its app. Hulu launched its live monthly TV service in May 2017 with more than 50 sports, news, entertainment and kids’ channels. Since then it has streamed live games from major pro and college leagues, from the 2018 Winter Olympics and March Madness tournament to local games across the NFL, MLB and NBA. Last week, it partnered with the NHL to stream the Stanley Cup Playoffs and with Turner Sports in a marketing plan that will span TNT’s coverage of the NBA Playoffs.
A number of broadcast companies, such as ESPN (with its $4.99 ESPN+) and CBS (through its free streaming channel CBS Sports HQ), are launching their own over-the-top apps.