Miami: The Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) has agreed a 10-year $525 million (Dh1.93 billion) rights deal with digital media company PERFORM that will see 2,000 main draw singles matches broadcast each year, the governing body said on Tuesday.
The deal, described as ‘game-changing’ by WTA chairman and CEO Stacey Allaster, is the largest live media rights and production venture in the history of women’s sports, according to the WTA.
“This is a game changing and historic moment for our fans and for women’s sport,” said Allaster in a statement. “Our new broadcast strategy to produce all 2000 main draw singles matches in partnership with (broadcast distribution partner) PERFORM will deliver exponential global exposure for our players, tournaments and partners.” WTA Media, together with tournaments, will produce all main draw singles matches and the semi-finals and finals of all doubles matches from 2017 to 2026.
Plans also include additional magazine shows and significant off-court content to support the WTA’s mobile, digital and social media strategy.
Poland’s Agnieszka Radwanska, meanwhile, hopes to win the first grand slam title of her career after appointing 18-times grand slam champion Martina Navratilova as her new “supercoach”.
The 58-year-old Navratilova, one of the game’s all-time greats with 59 grand slam singles, doubles and mixed doubles titles to her name, will work alongside Radwanska’s full-time coach Tomasz Wiktorowski.
“I did not sleep very well last night [Monday], thinking about getting back into match mode and the competitions,” Czech-born American Navratilova told the WTA website.
“I was delighted when Agnieszka asked me if I would collaborate with Tomasz and I can’t wait to get started.”
