Volvo Car Open signs eight-year rights agreement with Tennis Channel
September 26, 2016
The Volvo Car Open in Charleston, S.C., one of the largest women’s-only tennis tournaments in the world, has signed a wide-ranging, eight-year media rights agreement with Tennis Channel. Beginning in 2017, the exclusive on-air and digital deal guarantees more exposure for the tournament than ever before, with an increase in live television hours nationally and expanded regional marketing efforts. The network will also carry live matches on its digital subscription service Tennis Channel Plus throughout the tournament. As with high-profile tournaments like the French Open and the BNP Paribas Open, Tennis Channel will have a studio desk on the tournament grounds throughout the weeklong event. The competition takes place April 3-9, 2017, at the Family Circle Tennis Center.
Covering the action first serve to last, Tennis Channel plans to provide coverage of more than 130 hours of the Volvo Car Open action in 2017. Tennis Channel Plus will offer 360 hours of streaming coverage as well, with all on-air and digital competition available on-demand. In addition to carrying the doubles final live, the network will have a live daily lead-in show from its tournament studio desk, akin to pre-contest programs like Tennis Channel Live at the US Open.
“This exciting new agreement will give us unprecedented levels of coverage translating into hundreds of hours of content to distribute and promote,” said Bob Moran, general manager of the Volvo Car Open. “Tennis Channel has a very affluent and appealing viewership that aligns well with our event and our sponsors.”
Tennis Channel, which is owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group, one of the largest television broadcasters, will work with local Sinclair station WCIV-TV for marketing and other cross-promotional opportunities. This is similar to Tennis Channel’s approach at the Citi Open in Washington, D.C., another tournament the network covers in its entirety. In its first year, that partnership led to a five-percent increase in tournament ticket sales and the largest crowd in a decade. Meredith Corporation, Volvo Car Open’s owner and a national media group with magazines like Family Circle, SHAPE and Better Homes & Gardens, will also work with Tennis Channel for cross-promotional integration.
The Volvo Car Open, formerly known as the Family Circle Cup, was founded in 1973 and has a long history of showcasing the sport’s top players. Hall of Famers and other stars who have won the championship include: Tennis Channel analysts Martina Navratilova (1982-83, 1988 and 1990) and Tracy Austin (1979-80), as well as Chris Evert (1974-78, 1981 and 1984-85), Steffi Graf (1986-87, 1989 and 1993), Venus Williams (2004) and Serena Williams (2008 and 2012-13).
About Volvo Car Open
The Volvo Car Open is the largest women’s only tennis tournament in the United States. The event, formerly known as the Family Circle Cup, moved to Charleston, S.C., in 2001 from Hilton Head Island, S.C., and will celebrate its 45th anniversary in 2017. The Volvo Car Open welcomes more than 90,000 spectators each year. The tournament features a singles draw of 56 players, a qualifying draw of 32 players and a doubles draw of 16 players. The tournament is owned and
operated by Charleston Tennis, LLC, a subsidiary of Meredith Corporation, publisher of Family Circle. For more information on the Volvo Car Open, visit http://www.VolvoCarOpen.com, call (800) 677-2293, email [email protected], Facebook (Volvo Car Open), Twitter (@VolvoCarOpen) or Instagram (VolvoCarOpen).
