Amazon out, Sky in!

[tex123]

First British tennis channel is launched by Sky Sports - here's what to expect

Sky Sports have launched the first tennis channel in the UK and Ireland and it is promising big things.

www.tennis365.com

 

[tex123]

• The US Open (one of tennis’ four Grand Slam tournaments)
• ATP Tour tournaments (the men’s professional circuit)
• WTA Tour tournaments (the women’s professional circuit)
• Masters 1000 (events in Indian Wells, Miami, Madrid, Rome and Cincinnati)
• The ATP Finals
• The WTA Finals

 

[tex123]

Bummer! I was hoping to just subscribe to one channel as I have no interest in other sports. Seems like you can't.
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In order to access the tennis channel, Sky viewers will need to have Sky Sports Complete, Action or Arena as part of your TV package. However, NOW TV viewers have the alternative option to watch Sky Sports Tennis content via a NOW Sports Day and Month Membership.

 

[tex123]

The good news is that you’ll still be able to watch the UK’s showpiece tournament, Wimbledon, on the BBC. Meanwhile, Roland-Garros (the French Open) and the Australian Open will continue to be broadcast by Eurosport.

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I must say Amazon was cheap as I already had prime membership.

 

[Poisoned Slice]

I would have missed out a couple of years ago when I cancelled my subscriptions. Be expecting highlights of that Nadal vs Agassi match from Montreal. haha Nah, it's just most times I had tennis on Sky, if it ended early, on to that Nadal vs Agassi match we go. Pretty much got every point saved in my memory.

 

[DSH]

If you have a Bet365 account, can't you watch many matches other than Grand Slam tournaments in the UK?

 

[tex123]

If you have a Bet365 account, can't you watch many matches other than Grand Slam tournaments in the UK?

Not the same watching on that small window, is it?

 

[Better_Call_Raul]

If you have a Bet365 account, can't you watch many matches other than Grand Slam tournaments in the UK?

Betting site streams are not legal!

 

[Rattie]

Yeah and in comparison to Amazon Prime, it is crap. No on demand, poor layout so you struggle to find out what is on and when. If a match is on the red button you can’t record it as it’s not on the main channel and therefore you miss out. And it’s stupidly expensive.

 

[messiahrobins]

Yeah and in comparison to Amazon Prime, it is crap. No on demand, poor layout so you struggle to find out what is on and when. If a match is on the red button you can’t record it as it’s not on the main channel and therefore you miss out. And it’s stupidly expensive.

This is a massive backward step for tennis. Sky is very amateurish always has been how it covers all sports in recent years. Its heydey was the 90s.
Also surprised they even bid for tennis as tennis is a dying sport in the UK. Cant think they will get many subscribers at all.

 

[Mainad]

This is a massive backward step for tennis. Sky is very amateurish always has been how it covers all sports in recent years. Its heydey was the 90s.
Also surprised they even bid for tennis as tennis is a dying sport in the UK. Cant think they will get many subscribers at all.

It's tennis coverage is still streets ahead of Amazon. Thank goodness sanity has finally prevailed and it has returned to its proper provider!

 

[messiahrobins]

It's tennis coverage is still streets ahead of Amazon. Thank goodness sanity has finally prevailed and it has returned to its proper provider!

How do you work that out? Sky wont have all courts available liek amazon had and there will be too much chit chat.

 

[Mustard]

Yes, this has been known for a while. Sky broadcast the US Open in 2023 for the first time since 2015, and from 2024 Sky have the rights back to the Masters events (and many 500 and 250 events, and the YEC) that they had lost to Amazon Prime from the start of 2019 in a five-year deal. Amazon Prime had exclusive rights to the US Open from 2017-2022 and to the Masters events and YEC from 2019-2023, but now that's changed. Eurosport alone had the rights to the 2016 US Open, after previously sharing the US Open rights with Sky.

It's nice that Sky now have so much tennis again, because at this point 5 years ago it was so grim that there was no tennis on Sky at all. I thought they had totally lost the plot. If it hadn't had been for PDC darts, I'd have cancelled my Sky Sports subscription, even with the football still on there.

 

[Mustard]

How do you work that out? Sky wont have all courts available liek amazon had and there will be too much chit chat.

It helps some, harms others. The people it benefits most are those who stick to TV and don't have much or any smart technology. I personally am better off with Sky having the rights.

 

[messiahrobins]

It helps some, harms others. The people it benefits most are those who stick to TV and don't have much or any smart technology. I personally am better off with Sky having the rights.

If younhave a playstation you can watch amazon on a big screen tv.

 

[theSHAMOO]

when you guys say amazon prime is good for streaming tennis, are you just talking about the T2 channel? I've been paying for ATP tennis TV for a few years but would happily drop it for a good alternative.

 

[ibbi]

Yeah and in comparison to Amazon Prime, it is crap. No on demand, poor layout so you struggle to find out what is on and when. If a match is on the red button you can’t record it as it’s not on the main channel and therefore you miss out. And it’s stupidly expensive.

Agreed across the board. Amazon's start was rough, and I didn't like when they got rid of the download option, but the ability to easily watch any court and have all of them available on-demand was great. This is absolute garbage in comparison.