Sky New Zealand extends Australian Open broadcast rights to 2032
Sky New Zealand has secured a six-year extension of its partnership with Tennis Australia, retaining the New Zealand Australian Open broadcast rights through to 2032. The announcement was dated 15 October 2026.
Sky will continue to deliver comprehensive coverage across Sky Sport and Sky Sport Now. The extension also includes the New Zealand broadcast rights to the Laver Cup and United Cup, giving the company longer-term content certainty for a major summer sporting event.
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Key terms of the agreement
The announcement sets out the following key facts:
- Six-year extension, running through to 2032
- Continuation of Sky’s 25-year partnership with Tennis Australia
- Coverage on Sky Sport and Sky Sport Now
- From 2027, free-to-air coverage will also include Three and ThreeNow
- Additional New Zealand broadcast rights to the Laver Cup and United Cup
| Event | Rights Retained | Platforms |
|---|---|---|
| Australian Open | New Zealand broadcast rights through to 2032 | Sky Sport, Sky Sport Now; from 2027, free-to-air on Three and ThreeNow |
| Laver Cup | New Zealand broadcast rights | Not specified in the announcement |
| United Cup | New Zealand broadcast rights | Not specified in the announcement |
The free-to-air addition from 2027 widens the potential audience for the tournament. The announcement does not disclose any financial terms, rights fees, revenue or advertising impact, so none can be assessed from the source.
Why broadcast rights matter to investors
Broadcast rights give a media company exclusive or licensed access to show live sport. Live events can support subscriber retention, viewer engagement and appeal to advertisers, which is why rights agreements are closely watched by investors in the sector.
The announcement describes the Australian Open as part of summer viewing for New Zealanders. Securing the event through to 2032 removes the question of who holds the rights over that period, reducing the risk of a key event moving to a competitor.
The Australian Open extension sits alongside Sky’s separate NRL broadcast rights deal running from 2028 to 2034, which still requires shareholder approval by special resolution and shows how heavily the company is committing to long-dated sports content.
Management commentary and what comes next
Adam Crothers, Sky Head of Content Partnerships, said the extension secures the content Sky knows is important to its audiences.
Adam Crothers, Sky Head of Content Partnerships
“…securing the content we know is important to our audiences for the longer-term.”
Tennis Australia also commented on the relationship.
Cedric Cornelis, Tennis Australia Chief Commercial Officer
“…Sky has played an important role in bringing the Australian Open to Kiwi fans for more than two decades…”
From 2027, selected matches and moments will be shown free-to-air on Three and ThreeNow, alongside comprehensive coverage for Sky customers. The agreement gives Sky long-term content certainty for the Australian Open through to 2032.
Investors exploring how Sky balances sport against entertainment spending can read our full explainer on Sky’s shift away from HBO Max, which sets out the multi-studio content strategy and the focus on margin protection behind it.
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