BT Sport Ready to buy ATP Rights

[Liam Fitzpatrick]

Sky Sports for many years monopolised football on TV. Now BT Aim to do the same to tennis.

Sky currently show all ATP 1000S Selected 500s and the WTF As well as the US Open. Bt show Big WTA Events only. Eurosport have Davis Cup and share Roland garros with itv while BBC have GB Davis cup ties,queens ,Eastbourne and Wimbledon.

But with the BBC Forced to make budget cuts and already losing Australian Open rights this could change. It was first hinted last year that BT who already share FA Cup Football with the been could steal in for a deal similar to Eurosport current us open deal(all rounds up to QF Live then extended highlights) but with British crown jewel rules stating that the men final must be shown live BUT Other rounds may be shared with "Third Parties and Premium Rate Broadcasters" aka pay TV.

A loophole for bt who are taking many big events from sky's seemingly iron grip. Bt could bid for atp tennis in 2018 and with sky's viewing figures down on tennsi bar the USO and wtf last year they could well win it. Itv have little interest in tennis and shunt the French onto itv4 bar the final and Murray matches in latter stages . with no restrictions on bidding and the BBC cutting more rather than adding to its portfolio of sport bt could well take that.

Could tennis and sport as as a whole become wrapped under bt sports finger? Here what it could look like in 5 years time

Sky Sports- Atp 500s,US Open
Bt Sport-Atp 1000s,World Tour Finals,Wimbledon(bar Finals) WTA,French Open(shared)
Eurosport-French Open(Shared) Australian Open,Davis Cup(All)
BBC-Wimbledon (shared with bt as majority broadcaster),Other GS Highlights
ITV -Royal Albert Hall Invitational

What do you think about the possibly changing face of tennis on TV?

I am an aspiring 14 year old journalist in Football and tennis practising sample articles. FEEDBACK IS WELCOMED!!

 

[toby55555]

TennisTV is the way to go £89 a year, covers most of the tournaments.

 

[Liam Fitzpatrick]

TennisTV is the way to go £89 a year, covers most of the tournaments.

But not slams

 

[irishnadalfan1983]

I hope this is not true - same thing happened with the rugby ( European Champions Cup) and it simply ends up costing the consumer more having to pay for both.

I wish BT would just die

 

[Liam Fitzpatrick]

I have bt (5£ with WiFi) and while the football coverage is good other sports are poorly presented and tennis punditry would die on bt.

 

[beltsman]

I'm American sooo

 

[haqq777]

US resident here. Pay $130/year for annual Tennis TV subscription. No Grand Slams or Davis cup matches. I don't know why I still have it. Too damn addicted to tennis I guess.

 

[Liam Fitzpatrick]

I use tennis tv for months with big masters events at 9:99 for a month. For example i bought 1 month for the us open seiris :Washington,cincy,montreal and will do same for indian wells/miami. Dont see point in 9:99 a montjh for months like this.woth judt 500s

 

[Gizo]

I hope this is not true - same thing happened with the rugby ( European Champions Cup) and it simply ends up costing the consumer more having to pay for both.

I wish BT would just die

I agree. The major sporting events being split between Sky and BT is terrible for the customers, because as you said they have pay for 2 separate subscriptions to watch the same number of sporting events as before.

It was much better when Sky Sports had their monopoly, as then just one subscription was needed and it was cheaper for customers. Competition is only good for the consumer if forces the rivals to lower their prices. However the opposite has happened, and Sky's have actually increased their prices recently, despite losing a lot of their TV rights.

The EC ruling in 2005, which in effect ended Sky's monopoly, would have only have been a beneficial had the rights then been split between Sky and the free to air channels.

 

[Russeljones]

Sky Sports for many years monopolised football on TV. Now BT Aim to do the same to tennis.
Sky currently show all ATP 1000S Selected 500s and the WTF As well as the US Open. Bt show Big WTA Events only. Eurosport have Davis Cup and share Roland garros with itv while BBC have GB Davis cup ties,queens ,Eastbourne and Wimbledon. But with the BBC Forced to make budget cuts and already losing Australian Open rights this could change. It was first hinted last year that BT who already share FA Cup Football with the been could steal in for a deal similar to Eurosport current us open deal(all rounds up to QF Live then extended highlights) but with British crown jewel rules stating that the men final must be shown live BUT Other rounds may be shared with "Third Parties and Premium Rate Broadcasters" aka pay TV. A loophole for bt who are taking many big events from sky's seemingly iron grip. Bt could bid for atp tennis in 2018 and with sky's viewing figures down on tennsi bar the USO and wtf last year they could well win it. Itv have little interest in tennis and shunt the French onto itv4 bar the final and Murray matches in latter stages . with no restrictions on bidding and the BBC cutting more rather than adding to its portfolio of sport bt could well take that. Could tennis and sport as as a whole become wrapped under bt sports finger? Here what it could look like in 5 years time:
Sky Sports- Atp 500s,US Open
Bt Sport-Atp 1000s,World Tour Finals,Wimbledon(bar Finals) WTA,French Open(shared)
Eurosport-French Open(Shared) Australian Open,Davis Cup(All)
BBC-Wimbledon (shared with bt as majority broadcaster),Other GS Highlights
ITV -Royal Albert Hall Invitational
What do you think about the possibly changing face of tennis on TV?

I am an aspiring 14 year old journalist in Football and tennis practising sample articles. FEEDBACK IS WELCOMED!!

Very difficult to read.

Try some paragraphs.