Jessica Pegula Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images World Team Tennis has found a media partner for its revival, after a five year hiatus.
The mixed gender tennis league that was co-founded by Billie Jean King in 1974 has inked a deal with USA Sports to televise WTT matches, with all six games running in primetime on CNBC, and streaming on Fandango. WTT and Versant will also partner on other integrations via E! and some of the media company’s other properties.
Matches will begin Dec. 1 and run through Dec. 15, keeping the matches outside of the Grand Slam tennis calendar.
WTT last held a season in November 2021, before pandemic-spurred challenges forced the hiatus. The league announced its reboot plans earlier this year, including giving athletes equity in the league. Jessica Pegula, Tommy Paul and Denis Shapovalov are among the players committed.
The league has long relied on city-based teams, and the new version of WTT will follow that model with the New York Empire Racquet Club, based at Barclays Center; Toronto North Racquet Club based at Coca-Cola Coliseum; and Florida Flamingos Racquet Club at Amerant Bank Arena.
It will also have a new format, with four singles sets and a mixed doubles tiebreaker. The league also plans to utilize immersive technology, live music, and other elements to enhance the in-person and televised experiences.
“In creating a new era of World Team Tennis, our goal is to build a sports and entertainment property that delivers value to fans wherever they are, while tapping into adjacent audiences that can help grow the sport,” said WTT CEO Stephen Amritraj. “Versant’s portfolio is uniquely compelling because it allows us to do both. CNBC has a natural connection to the traditional tennis audience while Fandango provides an opportunity to reach fans from a streaming perspective.”
USA Sports has been opportunistic in snagging new sports rights, supplementing its core WNBA, NASCAR, PGA Tour and international soccer with a heavy emphasis on deals it sees as growth opportunities. That includes League One Volleyball and the Pro Padel League. While the flagship sports are running on USA Network, parent company Versant has also begun to use CNBC (which is also about as widely distributed as cable channels can get) for some sports, and turning Fandango into a streaming destination.
“We’re excited to bring live World Team Tennis to CNBC and Fandango this December,” said Celia Kohl, SVP of Strategy & Business Development at Versant. “USA Sports is always looking to bring growth-minded leagues that innovate and excite into our portfolio, and we believe WTT is one of those leagues that will resonate with our audiences across both CNBC and Fandango.”
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