The deal with Tennis Australia is a blow to the long-term rights holder, Seven, which counts on the Open as an annual springboard into the ratings period.

In a statement, Nine said the five-year deal was worth $60 million a year and would cover the Australian Open and lead-up tournaments around the country – the Hopman Cup in Perth, and the Brisbane, Sydney and Hobart Internationals.

The deal covers broadcast rights, streaming, mobile, digital and social platforms.

Tennis Australia CEO Craig Tiley said Nine’s commitment to year-round tennis programming was one of the reasons the network won the rights.

“Four years ago we brought the host broadcast for the Australian Open and all our events in-house and this success has allowed us to unlock even more value in our domestic media rights,” he said.

“Our objective going into this process was a growth plan for exposure across the key planks of both tennis and non-tennis content, and the Nine offer best met these requirements. Nine’s commitment to additional tennis programming year-round was also aligned to our strategy.”

Nine CEO Hugh Marks said: “The timing of tennis and the audience demographics it delivers are a perfect fit for Nine and its advertisers.”

more to come