Sinner, everything expected but this: the surprise twist left everyone stunned. Here’s what happened.
We are not at all surprised that in conjunction with Jannik Sinner’s incredible exploit, tennis mania is running rampant everywhere. It had already happened back in the days of Matteo Berrettini and the 2021 Wimbledon final, reasoning that it was entirely expected that the rise of the South Tyrolean would once again awaken Italians’ interest in tennis.
The Italian’s latest matches have reached unimaginable peaks of ratings, which is why it could be expected, likewise, that what we are about to tell you would happen. Those who follow the sport that made the San Candido native famous will certainly know that most of the matches are broadcast on Sky pay TV. But they also know that, often, some matches are aired free-to-air, and therefore for free, on Supertennis, the thematic channel of the Italian Tennis and Padel Federation. This is by virtue of a gentlemen’s agreement between the two broadcasters that has so far cost the FITP an all in all reasonable amount of money.
It’s just too bad that when it came time to renew the agreement, Sky upped the ante, or so it seems, exponentially. Having purchased the tennis television rights in several countries, and thus having secured them for the next five years, it would have asked Supertennis for 8 million euros, instead of the canonical 2.5. Italia Oggi reports that some big words were reportedly flying around the negotiating table, so much so that nothing came of it. The deal, in fact, is off.
Sinner free-to-air on Cielo: Sky’s announcement
The uprising, from the tennis people, was almost immediate. On social media, all that has been talked about in the last few hours is that even the discipline in which Sinner excels is destined to become, like soccer, a luxury sport. Because not everyone these days can afford to subscribe to pay TV.
To quell the tempers of those who were already calling for a boycott against Sky, the broadcaster has decided to correct its course. Most of the tournaments will continue to be broadcast on Sky Sports, of course, but a selection of matches will be aired, instead, free to air and therefore for free. This was announced by the pay TV itself, which made it known that from now on, every day, Cielo, the generalist channel at 26 on digital terrestrial, will “host” some matches.
It starts already on the night between January 7 and 8, with the Wta in Adelaide and the Atp in Auckland. Two events that will mark the beginning of a new era and whose free-to-air airing on Cielo only confirms how bad things have gotten between Sky and Supertennis.
