Channel Nine secures broadcast rights for Australian Open in 2019

After months of negotiation, Channel Nine will walk away with the broadcast rights for the Australian Open a year earlier than expected.

While Nine had already agreed to pay $300 million to secure the rights over five years from 2020, it will now fork out an extra $48.5 million to show the tournament in 2019.

“Under the terms of the landmark agreement, Nine has now secured the exclusive rights to all world-class tennis played in Australia from 2019 to 2024,” a statement from Nine said.

“The rights granted for the one-year extension are exactly as per the original deal, meaning Nine has acquired all audio-visual rights for broadcast, streaming, mobile, digital and social platforms, starting with the coming summer of tennis.”

Nine CEO, Hugh Marks said: “There’s an air of excitement at Nine about being the new home of tennis, so to be able to start our new deal a year early brings us all much delight.”

“As I said back in March, the timing of tennis and the audience demographics it delivers are a perfect fit for Nine and its advertisers.

“We’re also mighty pleased to have been able to settle on a price for the additional year that is consistent with our original offer to Seven.”

Welcoming the new opportunity, Tennis Australia CEO and Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley said: “2019 marks a new era for Tennis Australia with a new domestic broadcast partner in Nine.

“We’ve enjoyed a 40-plus year partnership with the Seven Network and are glad we could reach an agreement which is in all our best interests.”

The 2019 Australian Open runs from January 14-27 with Caroline Wozniacki and Roger Federer the defending champions.