The French Tennis Federation is proud to announce that it is extending its partnership agreements with TV Tokyo and WOWOW, Japan’s leading premium pay TV broadcaster, to broadcast the Roland Garros tournament in Japan.
The new contract signed with TV Tokyo runs from 2018 to 2021, and allows the Japanese channel, which offers unencrypted coverage of the tournament, to give Japanese players plenty of airtime and show the men’s and women’s semi-finals and finals.
Meanwhile WOWOW, pay TV broadcaster to televise Roland Garros in Japan, will broadcast the whole of the French Grand Slam for multiple years from 2018. By signing this new agreement, the Japanese leading premium pay TV broadcaster reaffirms its longstanding commitment to the Roland Garros tournament. Roland Garros and WOWOW, which has broadcast the tournament since 1992, will be celebrating 30 years of collaboration when this new agreement has run its course.
“I am absolutely delighted to have extended these contracts with TV Tokyo and WOWOW. They allow the French Tennis Federation to keep offering maximum visibility of Roland Garros in Japan. These renewals confirm the tournament’s popularity in a nation that has a real passion for our sport,” explained Bernard Giudicelli, President of the French Tennis Federation.
Akira Tanaka, President of WOWOW Inc. said, “I appreciate this opportunity to renew the agreement with our longtime partner. Roland Garros and other Grand Slams have contributed to develop and enhance Japan‘s tennis market, and we are proud to see Japanese players Kei Nishikori and Naomi Osaka now compete on these special stages. We look forward to bringing the atmosphere, excitement and amazing moments of the red clay courts to Japanese viewers in coming seasons.”
WOWOW has contributed in growing Japan’s tennis fanbase through a long-term commitment broadcasting Grand Slam tournaments since the launch of their premium pay channel in 1991. WOWOW currently carries Roland Garros, Wimbledon, US Open and Australian Open and enriched its lineup by acquisition of streaming rights of ATP World Tour commencing this season.
Shigeru Komago, CEO President of TV Tokyo Co. Ltd, said, “We are proud to announce that, TV Tokyo Co., Ltd, and the French Tennis Federation have reached an agreement on the extension of their contract concerning exclusive terrestrial broadcasting of Roland Garros in Japan. Since our first broadcast in 1993, we are honoured to be able to continue our broadcast of this wonderful and toughest tournament of all Grand Slams.
About Roland Garros
In the eyes of sports fans, and indeed the general public, the Roland Garros tournament is an unmissable event that enjoys immense prestige. The 2017 French Grand Slam attracted more than 470,000 spectators and was broadcast in 223 countries worldwide, confirming the tournament's status as a first-class international sporting event. Organised by the French Tennis Federation, Roland Garros is the only Grand Slam tournament to be played on clay, one of the oldest and most noble surfaces in the history of tennis.
About WOWOW
WOWOW is Japan’s leading premium pay TV broadcaster with approximately 2.8 million subscribers and the first 24/7, 3 channel, full-HD broadcaster in Japan. With a focus on quality entertainment and exceptional customer service, WOWOW has seen twelve years of continuous net growth in subscribers. As of July 2011, all of the company’s subscribers are now on a digital subscription, which includes access to WOWOW’s ground breaking Members On Demand service. Listed in the First Section of the Tokyo Stock exchange, WOWOW’s subscription offering includes 3 premium Full-HD channels and a streaming service: WOWOW Prime covers a wide range of genres, including 7 popular overseas TV drama series per week along with our original series, movies, and documentaries. WOWOW Prime is also the official channel for the live broadcasts of both the Oscars and the Grammy Awards in Japan. WOWOW Live brings exclusive live broadcasts of the world’s greatest sports events along with live concerts and stage performances. Sports featured on WOWOW Live include the NBA, La Liga Española, LPGA, and more. Additionally, WOWOW Live broadcasts ATP tennis tournaments including all four tennis Grand Slam Championships the Australian Open, Roland Garros, Wimbledon and the US Open. WOWOW Cinema carries titles from major studios and a lineup of approximately 1400 movie titles from all over the world. WOWOW Cinema provides an experience to the world of cinema through a selective collection of movies. WOWOW Members On Demand offers subscribers the ability to view our quality programming anywhere and anytime. The streaming service features live events and sports as well as popular series and movies WOWOW aspires to become a channel where viewers can always encounter something they had never experienced, and by doing so transform the role of television from something that is viewed passively, to a place where new and exciting encounters can be expected.About TV Tokyo:TV TOKYO will celebrate its 54th anniversary this year.The broadcasting network called "TXN" is formed by 6 TV stations including TV Hokkaido, TV Aichi, TV Osaka, TV Setouchi, and TVQ Kyushu Broadcasting. Since the broadcasting region of these stations are based in major metropolitan areas, TXN has been a very efficient urban network covering 70% (40 million households) of Japan.TV Tokyo has broadcast Roland Garros for a total of 19 years, from 1993 to 2007, and 2014 to this day. In addition, TV Tokyo is also doing live broadcasts and coverages of top tier international competitions, such as the Olympic Games, Soccer World Cup, World Table Tennis Championships, Softball World Championships, Judo Grand Slam competitions, and so on.
