Sky Secures US Open Rights Until 2030
Sky has locked in the US Open for the long haul, signing a three-year extension that keeps the final Grand Slam of the season exclusively on Sky Sports and NOW in the UK and Ireland until the end of 2030.
It is a powerful statement. At a time when sports rights are fragmented and fans are forced to juggle platforms, one of tennis’ marquee events stays under a single, familiar roof.
A Grand Slam locked down
Under the renewed deal with the United States Tennis Association (USTA), negotiated through media rights partner IMG, Sky keeps full control of the live product. Every ball of every main draw – men’s and women’s singles, doubles, mixed doubles – plus juniors and wheelchair events, will remain behind Sky’s microphones across the three-week New York spectacle.
No shared feeds. No carve-outs. Wall‑to‑wall coverage remains a Sky operation.
For fans, the live pictures are only part of the story. Clips, highlights and short-form reaction will continue to run across Sky’s digital and social platforms in the UK and Ireland, keeping the tournament in constant circulation well beyond the linear schedule.
Technology meets tennis
This year’s US Open coverage has doubled as a showcase for how far Sky is willing to push the broadcast. Augmented reality graphics have been layered over courts and studio sets. Data integrations have drilled into serve patterns, return positions and rally lengths. Touchscreen breakdowns have allowed analysts to walk viewers through points in forensic detail.
Behind-the-scenes content has filled in the gaps: practice courts, locker-room access, and the off-court rhythms of a night-session major that rarely sleeps. The aim is obvious – to pull the viewer into Flushing Meadows rather than simply beam it into their living room.
Fronting it all is presenter Gigi Salmon, flanked by a pair of British names who know the Grand Slam grind inside out: Tim Henman and Laura Robson. Jonathan Overend leads the match commentary, with a rotating cast of co-commentators and pundits dropping in across the season’s events.
A deal signed in a wild New York fortnight
The timing of the announcement feels fitting. This US Open has already thrown up the kind of drama that broadcasters crave.
Novak Djokovic, a 24-time Grand Slam champion and perennial New York headliner, crashed out in the first round in a shock exit that ripped open the men’s draw. On another night, Ben Shelton and Carlos Alcaraz dragged each other into the early hours, their duel finally ending at 3.33am with the American edging through in the latest finish in tournament history.
On the women’s side, a final of genuine heavyweight quality looms: World No 1 Aryna Sabalenka against World No 2 Elena Rybakina on Saturday. It is the kind of match-up that underlines why broadcasters fight to keep this event.
Jonathan Licht, Chief Executive Officer of Sky Sports UK & Ireland, framed the renewal as both a sporting and strategic win. He hailed the US Open as “one of the highlights of the sporting calendar,” praised the New York backdrop and spoke of a shared commitment with the USTA to innovation and “world-class coverage.” His message was clear: this is not just about holding rights, but about reinforcing Sky Sports’ status as the home of elite sport in the UK and Ireland.
From the USTA side, Chief Commercial Officer Kirsten Corio underlined the longevity of the partnership and its importance to tennis’ growth in the region. She pointed to Sky’s “innovative and cutting-edge coverage” and the belief that this continued alliance will deepen fans’ connection with the sport.
Part of a bigger picture
The US Open is only one piece of a vast live tennis slate on Sky. Across the ATP and WTA Tours, Sky plans to show more than 4,000 matches and 80 tournaments this season, all available on Sky Sports, NOW and the Sky Sports app. For year-round tennis followers, it is a comprehensive ecosystem.
The Grand Slam renewal also slots neatly into a rights portfolio that already stretches across almost every corner of the sporting calendar. Sky holds 1,500 football matches from the Premier League, WSL, EFL and SPFL, exclusive live coverage of every Formula 1 race weekend until the end of 2034, home men’s and women’s international England cricket, every shot from the golf Majors, darts throughout the year, world-class boxing from promoters Zuffa and MVP, and extensive action from the NFL, Netball Super League and rugby league.
In that landscape, the US Open does more than fill a late-summer slot. It anchors Sky’s tennis offering at a time when the sport is chasing new audiences and new markets.
The next question is not where viewers will watch the New York night sessions. That is settled until 2030. The real intrigue lies in which stories – and which champions – will define this era on Sky’s courts.
