Sinclair Looking into Adding Investors for Tennis Channel; Could it Be Sold?

Sinclair Broadcasting Group (SBG) could be serving up some big changes on the Tennis Channel. A new report from Front Office Sports says that Sinclair is looking for a potential investor for the channel, and is exploring “strategic alternatives” for the network as it reviews its assets.

• Selling a stake in the Tennis Channel is a possibility for Sinclair as it considers its options.
• An outright sale of the channel is reportedly possible, but not likely.
• The situation is unrelated to Sinclair’s issues with its Diamond Sports Group, which is currently going through bankruptcy proceedings.

What Will Happen with the Tennis Channel?

FOS’s report indicates that Sinclair is still in the early stages of deciding Tennis Channel’s future, but the sale of an equity stake in the channel seems to be Sinclair’s goal at the moment as SBG has enlisted an investment bank to handle inquiries. The report specifies that Sinclair’s review of the Tennis Channel and its assets is largely being prompted by incoming interest from outside sources rather than internal financial issues.

FOS is reporting that Sinclair may decide to sell the entirety of the Tennis Channel, but this is a less likely outcome than finding an equity partner. At the very least, Sinclair will most likely still be involved in distributing the channel to its broadcasters, but all options are on the table.

Who could be interested in the Tennis Channel? There are myriad possibilities, but ESPN stands out as a strong possibility. ESPN carries portions of the U.S. Open, Wimbledon, and the Australian Open — three of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments — and offers even more tennis coverage throughout the year on its networks and streaming service ESPN+. ESPN announced this week it was joining a new sports streaming service with Warner Bros. Discovery and Fox, and the platform sounds like the perfect place for content from the Tennis Channel to end up, if everyone can agree on the numbers.

It’s fair to speculate that Sinclair’s issues with Diamond Sports Group (DSG) are prompting its decision to divest itself of part or all of the Tennis Channel. Diamond sued Sinclair — its own parent company — for improperly diverting funds away from it in 2023, but the two sides settled that dispute in January as part of Diamond’s larger plan to restructure its debts and emerge from bankruptcy. However, FOS reports that the Diamond situation has no bearing on Sinclair’s plans for the Tennis Channel.

Where Can You Watch the Tennis Channel?

Four of the top six live TV streaming services on the market allow you to watch the Tennis Channel in some capacity. Unfortunately, none of these providers offer the Tennis Channel in their base plan.

DIRECTV STREAM subscribers will need to add the Sports add-on pack for $15 per month to get the Tennis Channel. This pack also brings you channels like NBA TV, NFL Network, MLB Network, and regional sports networks from your area, so you’ll have plenty of coverage no matter which sports you consider your favorites!

Sling TV is the cheapest way to watch the Tennis Channel. You’ll have to grab a base plan for $40 per month, but you can pick from either the Sling Orange or Blue channel packages. Then, snag the $11-per-month Sports Extra add-on pack to access Tennis Channel, alongside channels like ACC Network, SEC Network, and 10 other choices.

Fubo comes with a free trial of varying lengths, and while it’s the most expensive service for watching the Tennis Channel, at least you’ll get this free viewing period to test out its interface. The least expensive way to get Tennis Channel on Fubo is through the Fubo Extra pack for $7.99 per month, on top of Fubo’s base plan ($90.98 per month and up).

YouTube TV requires you to snag the Sports Plus package to get the Tennis Channel, which costs $11 per month on top of YouTube TV’s $72.99 monthly subscription price. The Sports Plus add-on also includes channels like Fight Network, Fox Soccer Plus and NFL RedZone when football season is underway.