USTA, IMG expand partnership to drive continued US Open growth

The United States Tennis Association (USTA) announced on April 16 a multi-year extension and expansion of its partnership with IMG, a leading global sports marketing agency. The new agreement will see IMG represent and advise the USTA on both the international and domestic media rights of the iconic US Open Tennis Championships.

IMG advised and represented the USTA throughout the recent renewal negotiation with ESPN to continue broadcasting the US Open in the US, Canada, Latin America, and the Caribbean through 2037, resulting in a significant increase in exposure and revenue. The USTA has been working with IMG since 2011 to power the growth of its international reach, fan engagement, and media rights revenues. The 2024 US Open was watched by a record-breaking global audience of more than 175 million and broadcast in more than 200 countries and regions across 60 channels.

"IMG has been an integral part of the US Open's growth, ensuring that it reaches core fans and new audiences across the world through innovative local and regional media distribution partnerships," said Kirsten Corio, chief commercial officer, USTA. "We are thrilled to extend the relationship with IMG to together bring the most spectacular sports and entertainment event to the world for many more years to come."

Ed Mallaburn, SVP, Sports Management, IMG, added: "The US Open has grown into one of the world's most engaging and exciting sporting events, capturing the attention of audiences of all ages, spanning far beyond tennis and sports fans. The USTA continues to push the boundaries of what is possible onsite and onscreen, and we couldn't be prouder to continue to support such a bold and innovative rights holder. The sport of tennis needs to leverage its unique assets in an ever-changing ecosystem and this year's revamped mixed doubles event is a perfect example of how the USTA is doing this."

The US Open is set to continue its multi-year trajectory of extraordinary growth and demand in 2025, with its first Sunday start to the singles main draw in the Open Era and a revolutionized Mixed Doubles Championship that will see the game's blockbuster stars competing for a $1 million champions' prize during Fan Week. The full, three-week US Open runs from Aug 18-Sept 7.

IMG, which was recently acquired by TKO Group Holdings Inc, is partner to a number of the world's leading tennis events and tours, including the AELTC (Wimbledon), FFT (Roland Garros), ATP Media (ATP Tour), and WTA Ventures (WTA Tour).