Sky Italia has reaffirmed its commitment to premier tennis coverage by extending its exclusive broadcast deal with the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) for the Wimbledon Championships. The new four-year deal, brokered by global media rights agency IMG, ensures Sky will air Wimbledon in Italy from 2027 through 2030 across its Sky Sports network and NOW streaming platform.
This renewal underscores Sky Italia’s focus on premium sports programming and comes at a pivotal moment for Italian tennis. Riding a wave of national enthusiasm, led by world number one Jannik Sinner—winner of the 2024 and 2025 Australian Opens and the 2024 US Open—Wimbledon viewership is expected to rise even further in the coming years. Matteo Berrettini, another Italian star, made history by reaching the Wimbledon final in 2021, enhancing the tournament’s resonance with Italian audiences.
Wimbledon’s Strategic Shift to Global Appeal
In 2024, Wimbledon’s total prize purse will hit a record £53.5 million ($72.5 million), up 7% from the previous year and more than double what was offered just a decade ago. The tournament, which runs from June 30 to July 13, 2025, will also feature a revised finals schedule designed to optimize global viewership.
Both the men’s and women’s singles finals have been moved two hours later to 4 PM UK time, translating to 11 AM Eastern Time in the United States. The adjustment aims to accommodate US audiences, a key market for global tennis, with ESPN continuing its broadcast partnership with Wimbledon through 2035.
Domestically, Wimbledon remains a staple on BBC, while Sky Italia serves Italian viewers across linear and digital platforms.
Expanded Sports Portfolio for Sky Italia
Beyond tennis, Sky Italia is strengthening its sports portfolio with renewed rights for Europe’s top basketball competitions—the EuroLeague and the EuroCup. This deal, also facilitated by IMG, ensures continued coverage across Sky’s traditional TV and NOW OTT service.
Strategic Media Rights Planning
At 365247 Sports Consultancy, we see Sky Italia’s Wimbledon renewal as a textbook case of:
- Leveraging National Talent: Aligning broadcast strategy with the rise of homegrown stars like Sinner enhances ROI on rights deals.
- Global Audience Engineering: Strategic scheduling shifts—like Wimbledon’s two-hour finals delay—show how time-zone sensitivity can supercharge international viewership.
- Portfolio Synergy: Combining tennis and basketball rights across platforms strengthens subscriber retention and cross-sport engagement.
- Multiplatform Monetization: Sky’s dual-play via linear TV and streaming exemplifies how to future-proof rights investments.
How We Help
We help broadcasters, federations, and rights holders:
- Evaluate media rights opportunities for maximum reach and ROI
- Align sports scheduling with audience and commercial objectives
- Develop content portfolios that drive subscription and engagement
- Execute global media strategies with localized impact
Reach out to us at 365247 Sports Consultancy. Let’s transform your broadcasting potential into performance. Schedule your introductory call here.
