Back in the 1970s, catching live action of tennis in the US felt more like a Division III field hockey experience: tape-delayed broadcasts, no ESPN, and fans scouring newspapers for post-match analysis. But times have changed drastically and rapidly. Today, the match highlights flood social media in real time, transforming how fans engage with the sport on a day-to-day basis. Now, with the French Open buzzing with fresh American voices like Venus Williams and Andre Agassi and TNT Sports stepping in with a game-changing $650 million deal, tennis in the US may be on the verge of a renaissance!

Tennis coverage in the US is getting a major facelift as the French Open shifts from its longtime home on NBC, Peacock, and the Tennis Channel to TNT, TBS, and truTV under a groundbreaking ‘$650 million’ deal with Warner Bros. Discovery. Starting this weekend, TNT begins its 10-year broadcast partnership with Roland-Garros, offering matches across its television networks and streaming platforms like Max and Bleacher Report. A daily NFL ‘Red Zone-style’ whip-round show will also air on truTV, promising dynamic coverage for fans throughout the tournament.

Warner Bros. Since 1989, Discovery’s Eurosport network has been the exclusive broadcaster of the French Open in Europe. The commencement of the 2025 edition marks the unification of U.S. coverage within a global framework. TNT Sports is stepping into its new role with fresh ambition and style. 

Craig Barry, executive vice president and chief content officer at TNT Sports, added, “I think we’re at a little bit of a crossroads or a renaissance with tennis,. You have a lot of young, super, athletic, potential superstars, both, on the international side, on the U.S. side. And so I think it’s really in a good place to take the coverage and look at it with a fresh lens.”

Speaking to SportsPro, Barry also emphasized the emotional tone TNT Sports aims to bring in sports in America: “One of the most important parts of what we’re deciding to do is to bring a certain amount of joy and entertainment value overall. It’s OK to be honest and authentic and unapologetic, and if they’re doing all of that and the talent is having a good time, then I guarantee everybody that’s watching is having a good time. For us, at least when I look at it personally, the thing that is most important is to bring a certain amount of energy and joy back to the coverage of the game. I feel like that’s probably been lost over the last couple of decades.”

The French Open is now the latest collaboration between Warner Bros. Discovery’s US and European sports arms, a move made possible by the ‘$43 billion merger’ of WarnerMedia and Discovery in 2022. With dual studios at Roland-Garros, TNT Sports will create tailored content for both US and US audiences. A consolidated strategy will optimize resource allocation for match highlights, behind-the-scenes material, and on-site talent collaborations across. global social channels.

Adding to the excitement, tennis icons Venus Williams and Andre Agassi joined the TNT Sports broadcast team recently. As Americans tune in to comprehensive live coverage, including more than 900 matches streamed via Max and Discovery+, the game is being reborn for US fans. And with TNT Sports boldly reimagining how tennis is experienced, viewers may indeed find themselves falling in love with the sport all over again.

Agassi Reflects on French Open Relief for legends like Venus Williams

The 129th Roland-Garros global broadcast, a collaborative effort between TNT Sports and Eurosport, will include an exceptional team of renowned commentators and tennis luminaries. Hall of Famers like Venus Williams, John McEnroe, Andre Agassi, Lindsay Davenport, Jim Courier, Chris Evert, Mats Wilander, and Boris Becker, together holding nearly 100 GS titles across singles, doubles, and mixed, will enrich the broadcast with their championship insights and decades of elite experience.

Among these legends, the 55-year-old recently shared a deeply personal moment from his Roland Garros journey. During a “Tennis Channel” appearance, he reflected on his emotional win during a rain-interrupted final in 1999 when he defeated Andrei Medvedev. “That one day in Paris was against me, and just somehow the skies opened up at the right time in my favor at that time and got a good lecturing from my coach, Brad Gilbert, in the locker room and somehow turned a match where I was a deer in headlights into probably one of the few times I can actually say I managed to go from that to being in the zone, so to speak,” Agassi added.

He continued, “But it was, you know, to put it, plainly, that was a day in between the lines on the tennis court when I knew I wouldn’t have any more regrets. I mean, it was the last one of the four for me to win. It was one I could have won ten years earlier, a couple of times, being favored. It was one I never thought I’d have a chance at again.”

With this remarkable lineup behind the mic and legends like Agassi reliving their iconic moments, this year’s French Open promises to be unforgettable, especially for American fans. So, who are you backing this clay season in WAT and ATP side? Share your thoughts below!