The Tennis Channel knows demand for its product is sky-high. With tennis blue-bloods like Novak Djokovic still playing at a sensational level, and relative newcomers like Carlos Alcaraz and Coco Gauff already making big names for themselves, the present and future of tennis are in good hands, and viewers can look forward to their sensational play for years to come.

• Tennis Channel is planning to launch its DTC service in 2024.
• Service will feature a full stream of linear Tennis Channel and much more.
• Sinclair is partnering with Sportradar to develop the streamer; Sportradar also helped develop the international Tennis Channel streaming platform.

From the Court to Your Living Room

The star power in the professional tennis world currently is one of the biggest reasons that the Tennis Channel is preparing to launch its own direct-to-consumer (DTC) streaming service. That new streaming platform was first confirmed by Tennis Channel owner Sinclair Broadcasting Group in August of 2022, with a target launch date of late 2023/early 2024.

Sinclair shored up its plans last fall, and solidified the rollout of the new streamer for 2024. Now, a new report from Next TV states that Sinclair has chosen the sports technology company Sportradar to help it build the streaming platform and have it ready for launch by next year.

“Tennis fans in the U.S. deserve a dynamic viewing experience that delivers the best tennis content and live matches right to their fingertips,“ Sportradar senior VP, audiovisual Patrick Mostboeck said. “With Sportradar’s industry-leading data-driven, end-to-end OTT solution, Tennis Channel will have all the tools and capabilities to meet the needs of their fans all over the U.S. We are thrilled to work closely with Tennis Channel to deliver a platform that allows them to continue to grow engagement with the sport of tennis.”

What Will New Tennis Channel Streaming Service Have to Offer?

The new Tennis Channel streamer will offer a full stream of the linear Tennis Channel, including all matches and other live events on the network. In addition, it will feature live and on-demand matches that won’t be available on the regular Tennis Channel, as well as highlights, analysis, breaking news, and more shoulder programming that will allow tennis fans to stay completely up to date.

It’s unclear if Tennis Channel’s free ad-supported TV (FAST) channel T2 will be a part of the new streamer, but it wouldn’t be surprising. T2 just expanded to Amazon’s Freevee as well as Fubo, but adding it to the new Tennis Channel streaming service would give its distribution an unprecedented boost. The FAST channel features matches and other content not available even on the Tennis Channel cable network, so the new streaming platform would seem incomplete without it.

Sportradar will develop the user interface and help build connected TV apps for the new streaming platform. Tennis Channel and Sportradar also partnered on the channel’s international over-the-top streamer, so they already have a good working relationship and will be able to give customers a fantastic experience without much difficulty.