Mumbai: Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN) on Thursday announced that it has acquired the broadcasting rights of the US Open starting August 2022. The broadcaster has signed a three-year deal to get the exclusive media rights (TV and digital) of the global sporting event between 2022-24. The matches will also be available to livestream on SPN’s premium OTT platform, SonyLIV.
SPN's sports channels will air US Open 2022 across the Indian subcontinent, including Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, and Maldives.
This year's final Grand Slam, the US Open 2022, is scheduled to take place between 29 August and 11 September.
Sony Pictures Networks India hopes to replicate its success for the US Open and offer a seamless viewing experience of the hard courts of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Centre.
Sony Pictures Networks India chief revenue officer, distribution and head – sports business Rajesh Kaul said, "We are pleased to acquire the media rights for the US Open, the final stop of the tennis Grand Slam calendar, which makes us the premier destination for tennis fans in India and the subcontinent. For the first time in its history of broadcast in India, the US Open will be broadcast in four languages on our network. As the Home of Tennis, we have been and will continue to serve the growing tennis fanbase in India."
Adding to this, USTA chief commercial officer Kirsten Corio commented, "Having a broadcast partner committed to becoming a home for tennis in their region is central to growing fan engagement with the game and is what makes Sony Pictures Networks India a perfect partner for the US Open. We're excited to work alongside them to deliver the US Open across the Indian subcontinent to our fans there for the next three years."
The channel will broadcast live coverage of the 142nd edition of the prestigious tournament starting 29 August at 7:30 p.m.
For the first time in India, SPN will telecast the marquee tournament in four languages across SONY SIX, SONY TEN 2 (English), SONY TEN 3 (Hindi), and SONY TEN 4 (Tamil & Telugu) channels, beginning with the single’s quarterfinal matches on 6 September 2022 onwards.
The Grand Slam will be covered live by Sony Sports' flagship LIVE studio show for tennis, Extraaa Serve.
Hosted by Suhail Chandhok, the show will feature Indian tennis legend Vijay Amritraj, former India number one tennis player Somdev Devvarman and India Davis Cupper Purav Raja.
Former India Davis Cupper & Asian Gold medalist Gaurav Natekar, Manish Batavia, and Atish Thukral will provide Hindi commentary beginning with the quarterfinals. India Davis Cupper Jeevan Neduncheziyan, Srinivasan Sheshadri, and Arun Venugopal will be joining them in the studio for Tamil commentary along with India Davis Cupper Vishnu Vardhan, Sandeep Kumar, and former India number one Rishika Sunkara for Telugu commentary.
Indian tennis legend Vijay Amritraj said, "I am delighted to be working with Sony Sports channels again after many years for a Grand Slam event in India. I have great memories of the US Open, having played it in the 70s and the 80s and having been in two quarterfinals. My wins over Rod Laver in 1973 and Bjorn Borg in 1974 are still firmly etched in my mind. I am really looking forward to covering the final Grand Slam of the year for tennis fans on Sony Sports channels."
