WBD unveils Australian Open coverage plans

Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) Sports Europe is bringing the Australian Open tennis tournament to its streaming platform Max for the first time, with every match streaming live on discovery+ and Max, alongside enhanced in-app product features.

The in-app features while streaming include timeline markers feature, which enables fans to easily navigate back to key moments such as key points, expert analysis and interviews so they never miss a moment of the action.

WBD’s presentation line-up includes Jim Courier alongside Mats Wilander, John McEnroe, Justine Henin, Boris Becker, Alex Corretja, Barbara Schett, Tim Henman and Laura Robson.

Becker will offer analysis and punditry for German and international viewers; Henin appears for French and international fans; Corretja presents for Spanish and international audiences; with Carla Suarez Navarro and Nicolas Almagro appearing in Spain; Roberta Vinci in Italy; and Barbara Rittner and Andrea Petkovic in Germany.

Wilander and Henman will join presenter Rachel Stringer in the mixed reality Curve studio in London for daily pre and post-match shows. “Ground-breaking” studio analysis tools and new innovations such as Bolt6 in-play game data will provide fans with a more immersive viewing experience, promises WBD.

As well as streaming games, WBD will air 250 hours of live television coverage on Eurosport, produced in 20 languages for 50 markets across Europe. It will also show free-to-air live action, including the singles finals, to fans in Germany (Eurosport 1), Denmark (Kanal 5), Sweden (Kanal 9), Finland (TV5) and Norway (Rex).

WBD has also rolled out several tennis documentaries on Max and discovery+, including Rafael Nadal: King of Paris, which tells the story of his unmatched 14 Roland-Garros titles, and John McEnroe: The Racket, which reexamines his controversial default at the 1990 Australian Open where he became the first player to be ejected from the tournament in more than 30 years.

There’s also Forza Sinner and the Rise of Italian Tennis, the documentary charting Jannik Sinner’s maiden Grand Slam win at the 2024 Australian Open, which is available alongside an official Australian Open preview and 2024 tournament highlights as part of the road to Melbourne. 

Scott Young, group SVP content, production and business operations at WBD Sports Europe, said: “The Australian Open is the event that kickstarts our year of live sport and the 2025 tournament is shaping up to be a mouthwatering feast of tennis. We will transport the unique fast-paced play and electric atmospheres from Melbourne Park to viewers all across Europe by telling the stories of this epic event and its athletes.

“Our immersive studio innovations coupled with the expert viewpoints of the sport’s greatest stars – including Jim Courier who we welcome to Eurosport for the first time – will deliver the best possible viewing experience. 

“We’re also incredibly excited to showcase every match on Max for the first time in 25 markets. As we continue the acceleration of our global streaming strategy to expand Max into new markets, including the UK, Italy and Germany next year, our customers will benefit from a further enhanced live sport offer alongside the very best entertainment content – a powerful proposition we know will drive even greater scalability, engagement and enjoyment.”