Emma Raducanu’s rise has ‘enticed’ Sky Sports to outbid Amazon Prime for US Open broadcasting rights

US Open
Delight for Emma Raducanu as she wins US Open

The US Open looks set to return to Sky Sports as the British broadcaster went all in to secure the rights for the hard-court Grand Slam on the back of Emma Raducanu’s fairytale run at Flushing Meadows last year.

Amazon Prime has held the rights for the US Open since 2018 with the video on-demand over-the-top streaming service also broadcasting ATP and WTA tournaments for the past five years.

However, their contract for the season-ending major runs until the end of 2022 and Sky Sports was keen to get the rights back following Raducanu’s US Open triumph in September.

The British teenager became the first qualifier – man or woman – to win a Grand Slam as she won 10 matches en route to lifting the US Open trophy.

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Her success has led to a spike in interest in tennis in the UK – both off court and on court as there has also been a big increase in the number of people taking up the sport.

According to The Times, Sky Sports – who was the exclusive broadcaster of the US Open for 25 years until 2016 – “is set to reclaim the exclusive rights to televise the US Open from 2023 after Amazon Prime failed to extend its broadcast contract”.

The report added that “It is thought that the rise to prominence of the British teenager Emma Raducanu has enticed Sky to outbid Amazon for the next set of rights”, but the contact is yet to be signed.

Emma Raducanu

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