In a major move that reaffirms its dominance in global tennis broadcasting, Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) has extended its exclusive media rights for the Roland-Garros French Open across Europe until 2030. The landmark agreement, finalized with the French Tennis Federation (FFT), ensures that fans across the continent will continue to experience the clay-court Grand Slam through Eurosport and TNT Sports – with the exception of France.
What’s Included in the Deal?
- Pan-European coverage (excluding France) on Eurosport and TNT Sports.
- Exclusive rights in the UK and Ireland to TNT Sports.
- Starting in 2026, fans will also have access to every court live on HBO Max, WBD’s streaming platform, marking a bold step toward deepening digital engagement.
Cementing a Grand Slam Strategy
This move is the latest in WBD’s ongoing Grand Slam strategy:
- Wimbledon rights extended through 2027.
- Australian Open locked in through 2031.
- US broadcast rights via TNT, TBS, and truTV began in 2024 under a 10-year, $650M deal.
With all four Grand Slam tournaments under its belt, Warner Bros. Discovery is positioning itself as the go-to platform for comprehensive tennis coverage.
Record Growth and Fan Engagement
WBD’s 2024 coverage of Roland-Garros delivered:
- 620M+ video views and 30M social media engagements across Europe.
- Double-digit video audience growth in Italy (+36%) and the Netherlands (+46%).
- Strong TV ratings in the US, with TNT’s first-week coverage averaging 292,000 viewers—a 23% increase over the previous year’s coverage by Tennis Channel.
FFT President Gilles Moretton praised the deal, saying:
“This renewed partnership is a perfect illustration of our growing ambitions on the international stage. The excellent audience figures for Roland-Garros in Europe are a testament to the FFT’s ability to organize an increasingly appealing tournament, and the ability of WBD to promote our tournament to our many European fans.”
Strong Domestic Presence
While WBD leads internationally, France Télévisions and Amazon Prime Video continue to hold domestic rights until 2027. The 2024 men’s final between Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz pulled in 5.5 million viewers in France — the highest for a Roland-Garros men’s final since 2011.
Warner Bros. Discovery’s strategic investments showcase the growing value of premium live sports content in both traditional and streaming ecosystems. By offering full-court access, multi-language coverage, and innovative digital distribution, WBD is redefining how Grand Slams are experienced by fans across the globe.
As streaming platforms compete for attention in a saturated content world, owning tentpole sporting events like Roland-Garros will be key to driving subscriber retention, international expansion, and fan engagement.
