• Loading stock data...
Wednesday, October 29, 2025
Want a chance to win $250 and free FOS gear? Take our quick reader survey. Take the survey here

French Open Deal Marks New Era for TNT Sports. Will It Include the NBA?

  • A 10-year rights deal for the French Open immediately becomes the longest in Warner Bros. Discovery’s portfolio.
  • There’s still no news on NBA rights, but ESPN makes a playful push to land Charles Barkley.
Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports

Warner Bros. Discovery, like any other media company, cannot fully project the long-term state of the industry, or even its own business, amid an accelerating state of disruption. But the TNT Sports parent has nonetheless made another big bet on the future.

WBD has completed a 10-year rights deal with the French Open to carry the tennis major starting next year and through 2034. Worth about $650 million over the full term, according to industry sources, the agreement immediately vaults to a position as TNT Sports’ longest rights deal, surpassing the current end in ’32 of its shared March Madness rights with CBS Sports and a new NASCAR pact expiring in ’31. 

The French Open agreement arrives directly in the midst of a particularly fragile time for WBD. The company is trying to preserve an NBA media-rights relationship that has lasted four decades, but it could now be on the outside looking in against rival bids from ESPN, NBC Sports, and Amazon. 

Regardless of the outcome of the basketball situation, though, WBD executives said the French Open deal represents another important move to secure top-tier content. It’s also part of ongoing transformation across the company’s entire rights portfolio also including a recent agreement to sublicense some College Football Playoff games from ESPN.

Changing Media Landscape

Though it’s essentially impossible to know what the cable and streaming businesses will look like by the mid-2030s, WBD executives touted their array of cable channels, Max streaming service, Bleacher Report, and new participation in Venu Sports with ESPN and Fox as key tools to show coverage from the French Open and their other sports rights.

“This one just felt right. We look for properties and events where we can really bring in our own DNA, our own brand of storytelling, and the French Open and Roland-Garros is definitely that,” Luis Silberwasser, TNT Sports chairman and CEO, tells Front Office Sports. “We are certainly aware of the challenges of the cable business, but we also continue to be eager to find as many ways as possible to distribute our content.”

The French Open in some respects is seen as the weakest of tennis’s four majors. Competing in a particularly crowded part of the sports calendar in the U.S. against the heart of the NBA and NHL playoffs, the tournament also foregoes some of the power and speed of tennis on hard courts and grass in favor of the longer volleys and extended matches of clay. But Silberwasser says he intends to lean directly into all of that in TNT Sports’ coverage.

“Clay is a central character in this story. Paris is a central character in this story,” Silberwasser says. “It’s a very unique event, with a particular set of branding characteristics, and we’ll absolutely feature that.”

WBD will also leverage Eurosport, its European outlet that has covered the tournament since 1989, in building out its French Open coverage for the U.S.

No News on NBA

Silberwasser declined to comment on the ongoing NBA media-rights negotiations. That situation has largely remained the same in recent weeks, though, with league officials aiming to bring an end to the negotiations soon, and conversations continuing about the possibility of a fourth package being created that would allow TNT to remain in business with the league. 

During the ongoing uncertainty, though, tension and unease continue. TNT Sports analyst Charles Barkley made a guest appearance Monday during ESPN’s coverage of Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final, and Steve Levy jokingly introduced the Basketball Hall of Famer as “the newest member of ESPN’s NBA coverage?”

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Oct 25, 2025; Martinsville, Virginia, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Kyle Busch (8) before NASCAR Cup Series Xfinity 500 Practice and Qualifying at Martinsville Speedway.

NASCAR Star Kyle Busch Sues Pacific Life Over $8.5M Insurance Scam

Busch says he lost $8.58 million from Pacific Life.
Terry Rozier

NBA Union Says It Will Fight Decision to Withhold Rozier’s Pay

Rozier has one year and $26.3 million left on his contract.

Mavericks Accuse Stars of Holding Dallas Arena ‘Hostage’ in Lawsuit

The NBA team seized control of a joint company operating the American Airlines Center.
Oct 26, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Wizards forward Marvin Bagley III (35) and forward Kyshawn George (18) talk after a turnover against the Charlotte Hornets during the third quarter at Capital One Arena.
exclusive

Wizards Hire Ex-ESPN Editor Cristina Daglas for Front Office Role

ESPN placed Cristina Daglas on administrative leave in January.

Featured Today

September 21, 2025; Santa Clara, California, USA; NFL commissioner Roger Goodell before the game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Arizona Cardinals at Levi's Stadium

NFL Fall Meeting: 7 Big Topics Among Team Owners 

Media, facilities, and labor highlight some of the key areas of concern.
Ohio State Buckeyes running back Isaiah West (32) runs the ball in the second half at Camp Randall Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025 in Madison, Wisconsin
October 25, 2025

NIL Has Birthed a Third-Party Cottage Industry—and It’s a Mess

There’s no limit to how much players can make from NIL deals.
Christie's
October 21, 2025

Lou Gehrig’s $4M Jersey and the Exploding Sports Memorabilia Market

An ultra-rare sports collection is about to hit the auction block.
@chef__tezz/Instagram
October 19, 2025

Inside the NFL’s Private Chef Network

Private chefs are the unsung architects of player performance.
YouTube/ Multiple streaming services appear on a Roku TV.

YouTube in Another Carriage Dispute, This Time With Disney

ESPN and ABC could be dropped from the No. 4 U.S. pay-TV distributor.
May 17, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees left fielder Jasson Dominguez (24) shakes hands with New York Mets right fielder Juan Soto (22) after the top of the fifth inning at Yankee Stadium.
October 23, 2025

Mets, Yankees, and the Nielsen Debate That Won’t Go Away

Weeks after the end of the MLB regular season, viewership issues remain.
Oct 21, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) keeps the ball away from Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant (7) during the second half at Paycom Center
October 23, 2025

NBA’s NBC Return Draws 5.9M Viewers, Best Opener Since 2010

Thunder vs. Rockets peaked at 7.1 million viewers.
Sponsored

Why Alexis Ohanian Is Betting Big on Women’s Sports

Alexis Ohanian reflects on his evolution from Reddit cofounder to one of today’s most dynamic sports investors.
Brian Windhorst
October 23, 2025

Brian Windhorst Details Emergency Landing on Omaha–L.A. Flight

The pilots and flight attendants had a communication issue.
October 22, 2025

YouTube Stars Help Bring Back Golf Channel’s ‘Big Break’

The show will return in 2026 after an 11-year hiatus.
Candace Parker
October 22, 2025

Candace Parker Wants NFL-Style Coverage From NBA Media

Amazon will stream its first NBA doubleheader Friday.
Netflix
October 21, 2025

Netflix Staying on the Sidelines As TNT Sports Parent Seeks Buyer

The streaming giant shows little interest in acquisition possibilities.