Nine Entertainment Co is set to sign a $500 million extension of its broadcast deal with Tennis Australia, giving it the rights to the tournament for a further five years until 2030.
The extension was agreed in principle over the weekend, according to industry sources. The deal could be worth AU$105 million per year, including advertising credits or “contra”, according to the sources who could not speak publicly because the talks are confidential.
The sources, who spoke the Nine-owned The Sydney Morning Herald, said the deal would be a significant increase on the previous agreement which was struck in 2018. Nine declined to comment while a Tennis Australia spokesperson said: “We continue to have productive conversations. No deal has been done.”
Sources said that the cost of the package has almost doubled from AU$60 million per year for 2020-24 and just $36 million per year for 2015-19.
Industry sources have suggested, however, that Tennis Australia wanted to get a deal with Nine over the line before negotiations started in earnest for the right to broadcast Australia Cricket Team matches from 2025 onwards. Nine, along with rivals Seven and Paramount are set to fight for Cricket Australia’s next broadcast package, including Test matches and Big Bash League rights from 2025 onwards.
Thee previous Cricket broadcast deal, which ran from 2020-24, cost AU$200 million per year. The first round of bids for the new deal are due to start on Friday, according to sources.
If Nine’s bid is successful, it would be the only media company with two major summer sports in its programming line-up. Nine currently broadcasts the T20 World Cup and will air the 2023 Ashes. It had been the cricket broadcaster for more than 40 years until Seven won the free-to-air rights in 2018.
