Eurosport & Img Net LTA Rights Deal

IMG Media and pan-European broadcaster Eurosport have agreed a joint five-year media rights partnership with the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA).

Under the deal, IMG Media and Eurosport will distribute the rights to LTA-run ATP tournaments outside of the UK across all media platforms. These currently include the Aegon Championships at The Queen’s Club in London and the Aegon International Championships at Devonshire Park in Eastbourne.

Specifically, Eurosport will continue to broadcast the tournaments across its pan-European network, while IMG will for the first time manage rights distribution outside of Europe.

Also included in the deal is the new WTA international event to be held in Nottingham from 2015, during the extended three-week gap between Roland Garros and Wimbledon.

Starting from 2015, the Aegon Championships at Queen’s Club will become part of the ATP World Tour 500 broadcast package, with the rights for Queen’s to be held by ATP Media from 2015 onwards through the ATP World Tour 500 agreement.

‘This is very welcome news as it builds on our successful, long-standing partnership with Eurosport and, in collaboration with IMG, offers fans from across the world the opportunity to enjoy coverage of world class grass court tennis in the UK,’ said Simon Long, the LTA’s chief commercial officer.

Geraldine Filiol, the deputy managing director of rights acquisitions at Eurosport, added: ‘We are very pleased to retain the rights to these popular events for the next five years. The tournaments enhance Eurosport’s tennis offer and perform well in our programming calendar at the start of the grass court season.’