Faced with doubts about its post-NBA future, Warner Bros. Discovery has reportedly picked up one of the few other sports properties currently up for bid, the French Open.
Warner Bros. Discovery has acquired rights to the French Open tennis tournament starting next year, Brian Steinberg of Variety was first to report Friday, marking the first tennis Grand Slam on the networks once known as Turner Sports since Wimbledon in the early 2000s. The French Open had aired on NBC continuously since 1983.
According to Andrew Marchand of The Athletic, the deal is worth $650 million over ten years.
Per Variety, WBD will carry French Open coverage across its linear cable networks and the Max streaming service. It is not clear whether Tennis Channel would continue to carry the tournament.
The French Open is the third major property WBD has added to its domestic stable since its formation two years ago, joining NASCAR and the College Football Playoff. It should be noted that the NASCAR and CFP deals are limited in scope, with WBD carrying only five Cup Series races and 2-4 playoff games per year.
The French Open and CFP deals were struck amidst WBD’s negotiations with the NBA, which are widely expected to result in TNT Sports losing rights to a property it has owned for 40 years. WBD executives, including president and CEO David Zaslav, have stressed the breadth of the company’s sports offerings as a defense against the potential loss of its flagship property.
