Roland Garros: The French Open's Global Media Surge

In recent years, the French Open has experienced explosive growth in viewership, digital engagement, and international broadcast revenue, signaling a new era where sport and screen are more intertwined than ever.

A Global Audience in the Billions

The 2024 edition of Roland Garros reached staggering heights in terms of global attention. Across more than 200 countries, the tournament achieved nearly 2 billion total viewers, a figure that reflects not only tennis’s global footprint but also a well-executed media strategy that amplifies the event’s reach across platforms and continents.

Eurosport, the pan-European sports network owned by Warner Bros. Discovery, reported a 48% increase in TV viewership year-over-year, with particularly strong performance in markets like France, Germany, and Spain. More impressively, streaming viewership for the men’s final jumped 69% compared to 2023, showcasing how digital consumption is increasingly complementing traditional broadcasts.

The Social Media Serve

Beyond traditional media, Roland Garros made its biggest leap in digital engagement. In 2024, the tournament generated over 1 billion video views across its platforms—more than double the 477 million recorded the previous year. Its official website also saw +83 million page views, and the tournament’s YouTube channel notched 3.8 million views with a robust 19% average engagement rate.

Social media wasn't just about reach; it was about interaction. On Instagram alone, Roland Garros recorded 1.5 million actions from its 416,000 followers, with an unusually high 3.5 interactions per user—evidence that fans aren't just watching; they're engaging.

A $650M Bet on the U.S. Market

Arguably the biggest media headline surrounding Roland Garros came off the court. In June 2024, Warner Bros. Discovery’s TNT Sports inked a 10-year deal worth approximately $650 million to acquire exclusive U.S. broadcast rights to the French Open, starting in 2025.

This landmark agreement ensures that American audiences will be able to watch the tournament across TNT, TBS, truTV, and the Max streaming platform. The move is part of TNT Sports’ broader strategy to bolster its live sports offerings and position itself as a leader in premium tennis coverage, particularly as U.S. viewership of Grand Slam tennis continues to rise.

The deal also marks a shift in how the sport is presented in the U.S., with a more integrated approach between broadcast and streaming. It follows similar moves made by the NFL and NBA to blend traditional and digital platforms, recognizing that younger viewers are increasingly cutting the cord.

Roland Garros Reinvented

What’s happening at Roland Garros reflects a broader trend across elite sport: the fusion of competitive excellence and media sophistication. Once seen as the most “traditional” of the Grand Slams, the French Open has now positioned itself at the cutting edge of sports broadcasting—both in terms of reach and revenue.

With record-breaking viewership, next-level digital engagement, and a decade-long media deal that places it squarely in front of U.S. audiences, Roland Garros is no longer just the king of clay—it’s becoming a juggernaut of global sports media.