Sky Sports to launch UK's first tennis channel

London, United Kingdom) – Sky Sports, the sports arm of Sky Group, the satellite television company, will launch its first channel in the UK and Ireland fully dedicated to tennis on 11 February. The move comes a month after the company reacquired the broadcast rights to the ATP and WTA circuits, along with a separate deal for the US Open.

Named Sky Sports Tennis, the pay channel promises to offer more than 4,000 matches from 80 tournaments throughout the year on its TV and streaming platforms. ATP 500 from Rotterdam and WTA 1000 from Doha will debut with broadcasts. Next week, the Qatari capital also hosts the ATP 250 tournament, featuring Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray and Daniil Medvedev.

“It's an exciting time for Sky Sports as we launch a new home for tennis fans and Sky Sports Tennis will give millions of homes easy access to watch the world's best players all year round. We are proud to be the undisputed home of live sport for fans in the UK and Ireland and this new channel will add value to our customers and allow them to enjoy even more of the sport they love. ” , Jonathan Licht.

Although unprecedented in the United Kingdom and Ireland, the creation of a dedicated tennis channel is not new in Europe. For example, in Italy, the local federation has been managing Super Tennis since 2008, offering a full schedule 24 hours a day with events, live games and broadcasts. Unlike Sky Sports Tennis, the Italian initiative is available on a network open to the entire population, with the addition of the possibility of free access via streaming on its official website.