or


[08/28/24 - 12:16 PM]
ESPN and USTA Extend Relationship with New 12-Year Agreement
In the new agreement, USTA will take over host broadcaster duties from ESPN beginning in 2026 as ESPN focuses its production resources on the more than 260 hours of annual coverage planned for the U.S., as well as hundreds of hours for international territories.

[via press release from ESPN]

ESPN and USTA Extend Relationship with New 12-Year Agreement

· ESPN remains the exclusive rightsholder of the US Open in the U.S. through 2037

· ABC coverage of Middle Sunday and the Final Sunday continues

· Expanded ESPN streaming coverage to debut in 2026

· Extends exclusive rights in Latin America, the Caribbean and Canada via TSN and RDS

With the Main Draw of the 2024 US Open underway in New York City, ESPN and the United States Tennis Association (USTA) have extended their relationship with a new, 12-year agreement that will keep the iconic event with ESPN through 2037.

The deal, which starts in 2026 and is ESPN's longest-term tennis agreement, also continues to make ESPN the home of the entire US Open in Latin America and the Caribbean and in Canada on TSN and RDS. ESPN Deportes likewise continues as the exclusive Spanish-language home of the US Open in the United States.

The deal was brokered by IMG, the USTA's media rights representative.

In the new agreement, USTA will take over host broadcaster duties from ESPN beginning in 2026 as ESPN focuses its production resources on the more than 260 hours of annual coverage planned for the U.S., as well as hundreds of hours for international territories.

"We take tremendous pride in our 15-year relationship with the USTA," said ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro. "This agreement reinforces our long-term dedication to tennis, our capacity to showcase one of the premier events on the annual sports calendar and, as the world's first sporting event to offer equal purses for its female and male competitors, The Walt Disney Company's industry-leading commitment to women's sports."

"After many remarkable years of partnership, we are thrilled to extend our partnership with ESPN and the Walt Disney Company, a collaboration that has driven extraordinary growth for the US Open," said Lew Sherr, USTA CEO and Executive Director. "This year's US Open is well on its way to being the most spectacular Championship in our history and together with ESPN, we are energized by an even brighter future. Our shared commitment to expanding the reach of tennis has contributed to significant increase in participation. Together, we will continue to leverage the US Open as a powerful platform to promote our mission to inspire healthier people and communities."

"This ESPN deal is groundbreaking, not only for the USTA and US Open, but for tennis globally," said Hillary Mandel, EVP and Head of Americas, Media at IMG. "The new agreement will super-charge this iconic, captivating Grand Slam's exposure, production, promotion, content, and economic investment, ensuring record year-on-year growth for the next decade and beyond."

Deal Highlights

· Expanded streaming rights, giving ESPN flexibility to roll out additional ways for fans in the U.S. to consume US Open content

· Expanded Fan Week coverage, including daily live coverage on ESPN2 and distribution of the prime-time exhibition events that debuted this year on ESPN platforms

· Introduction of fast-paced, shot-to-shot whip-around coverage set to debut on ESPN+ the first week of the 2026 US Open main draw

· Annual coverage of the final Sunday and Middle Sunday on ABC

· Availability of all play across all courts daily

· Daily Spanish-language coverage in the U.S. on ESPN Deportes

· Provision to ESPN for limited sublicense rights

Recent US Open Viewership Highlights

The US Open on ESPN has set - and kept - some unforgettable viewership records, including:

· 2023

· The Women's Championship between winner Coco Gauff and Aryna Sabalenka

· is the most-viewed women's final of any tennis major ever on ESPN

· is the most-streamed women's match on ESPN+

· The men's and women's Semifinals on ESPN is the most-viewed since the current deal started in 2015

· 2022: Serena Williams' last appearance remains the most-watched tennis telecast on record in ESPN's 44-year history with 4.8 million viewers. Viewership peaked with 6.9 million viewers.

· 2015: The Men's Championship between Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer averaged 3.2 million viewers and stands as the most-viewed for the event ever on ESPN on record

-30-

About ESPN

About ESPN+

About the USTA

The USTA is the national governing body for the sport of tennis in the U.S. and the leader in promoting and developing the growth of tennis at every level - from local communities to the highest level of the professional game. A not-for-profit organization, it invests 100 percent of its proceeds in growing the game. It owns and operates the US Open, one of the highest-attended annual sporting events in the world, along with approximately 100 Pro Circuit events throughout the U.S., and selects the teams for Davis Cup, Billie Jean King Cup, and the Olympic and Paralympic Games. The USTA's philanthropic entity, the USTA Foundation, provides grants and scholarships in addition to supporting tennis and education programs nationwide to benefit under-resourced youth through the National Junior Tennis & Learning (NJTL) network. For more information about the USTA, go to USTA.com or follow the official accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter (X) and TikTok.





  [august 2024]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
    


· SHOWATCH
(series past and present)
· DEVWATCH
(series in development)
· MOVIEWATCH
(tv movies and mini-series)





[08/04/26 - 02:59 PM]
ESPN Delivers Its Second Most-Watched Regular Season WNBA Game Ever!
The Indiana Fever-Minnesota Lynx matchup averaged 2.5 million viewers on ABC on Sunday, August 2.

[08/04/26 - 02:29 PM]
FOX Saturday Baseball Delivers Second Best Performance This Season with 2.834 Million Viewers
Coverage reached a peak audience of 3,222,000 viewers from 9:15-9:30 PM ET.

[08/04/26 - 01:57 PM]
Jaw-Dropping New Medical Series "ER: Caught on Camera" Premieres on TLC on August 19
From cardiac arrests to runaway bee swarms, house fires and cosmetic disasters, the series shows authentic, self-documented footage from the patient's most vulnerable and traumatic moments.

[08/04/26 - 12:30 PM]
Video: "The X-Files: I Want to Believe - Vrach Frankenshteyn" Official Trailer and Key Art Revealed
This R-rated version represents the film Chris Carter always envisioned - a darker, frightening thriller exploring a real-life Dr. Frankenstein.

[08/04/26 - 12:15 PM]
NBC's "The Voice" Starts Production on All-New Eventized Season "The Voice: Celebrity" Airing in 2027
An extension of the longstanding series, this special season swaps undiscovered talent for a wide range of celebrities - actors, musicians,?influencers,?athletes, comedians, and reality television stars - competing to become the first "Voice" celebrity champion.

[08/04/26 - 12:01 PM]
Netflix Top 10: Week of July 27 - The Celebration Continues as Kevin Hart's "72 Hours" Holds No. 1 for a Second Week
"The Idaho Murders: College Nightmare" launched at the top of the English TV list with 18.2 million views.

[08/04/26 - 11:15 AM]
Amanda Hirsch Set as Official Host of Hulu's "Get Real" Podcast
Hirsch will ask all the juicy questions as she is joined each week by celebrity guests, pop-culture commentators and stars from the latest hit Hulu reality series.

[08/04/26 - 11:03 AM]
FX's "The Shards" Official Video Podcast Coming to Hulu
The video and audio podcast breaks down the series with stars Igby Rigney, Kaia Gerber, Homer Gere, Hayes Warner, Graham Campbell, Evan Rachel Wood, Wes Bentley and Jordan Roth.

[08/04/26 - 09:40 AM]
Hulu Greenlights Season 3 of Hit Australian Original Series "The Artful Dodger"
The high-octane Season 3 will be packed with more grit, bigger heists and bolder hijinks when it premieres on Hulu in the U.S.

[08/04/26 - 09:04 AM]
Third and Final Season of Paramount+ Original Comedy Series "Colin from Accounts" to Premiere September 10
All episodes of the highly anticipated new season will be available to stream at premiere, exclusively on Paramount+ in the U.S.

[08/04/26 - 09:01 AM]
First Look at "Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story," September 17th on Netflix
The new installment will follow the series' first female "monster," played by Ella Beatty alongside Vicky Krieps as Bridget Sullivan, Rebecca Hall as Abby Borden, and Charlie Hunnam as Andrew Borden.

[08/04/26 - 08:47 AM]
Viola Davis to Star in and Executive Produce Paramount+ Original Series, "Ascent"
"Ascent" is a character-driven thriller set in the dangerous world of global corporate crisis and damage control.

[08/04/26 - 08:18 AM]
Video: "Here the Whole Time" - Official Trailer - Netflix
Felipe just wanted a quiet summer with his artsy mom and every musical he could binge... when his childhood crush knocked on his door to join the party.

[08/04/26 - 08:18 AM]
FOX Sports Unveils 2026 NFL Broadcast Lineup Boasting Super Bowl Champs, Hall of Famers and Emmy Award Winners
FOX NFL's lead announce team of award-winning play-by-play announcer Kevin Burkhardt and seven-time Super Bowl champion and critically acclaimed analyst Tom Brady embark on their third season together.

[08/04/26 - 08:15 AM]
Video: Date, Trailer & Key Art Debut - Hulu's "The Girls: A Khloe Kardashian Project"
The series premieres with all six episodes on August 21 on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+ for bundle subscribers in the U.S. and Disney+ internationally.