Few sports can claim such a combination of rich history, global interest, emerging young talent and a season that covers 11 of the year’s 12 months. But tennis smashes all of those boxes and then some.
For sports bars, restaurants, tennis clubs and pro shops, that combination creates a unique opportunity: year-round action encouraging viewers to visit more and stay longer.
From Grand Slams to 24/7 analysis, DIRECTV FOR BUSINESS® makes it easy to show all things tennis, all the time, all within one unified viewing experience.
Ready to let DIRECTV FOR BUSINESS set a new baseline for your business? Check out our packages and put your business in position to win, game, set and match.
Why Showing Tennis Can Be a Smash Hit for Your Business
Simply put: tennis is a globally popular sport with a growing audience and young, marketable stars. All things your business can build around.
Serving to a Growing Audience: The proof is in the numbers: tennis is riding viewership and attendance highs. According to ESPN, the 2025 US Open was the channel’s most-viewed tennis telecast of the year, showing double-digit growth throughout all rounds and the men’s championship becoming ESPN’s second most-viewed tennis event on record. And not to be outdone, the women’s championship round saw a +50% increase YoY with 2.4M viewers on ESPN. For the year, the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) saw all-time high attendance numbers, with more than four million fans attending events in 2025, an increase of more than half a million YoY. And it’s not just viewership numbers. According to the United States Tennis Association, U.S. tennis participation grew to 27.3 million Americans, a 6% increase. And of that player growth, 95% of it was adults 35 and older and 200,000 more kids ages 6-17 hit the courts. So, interest in tennis is growing substantially.
A Global Prestige: In 2026, the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP)—which is the global governing body of men’s professional tennis—will hold tournaments across 29 countries while the WTA will play across 26 countries and territories. And the players are just as global, with stars from Spain and Poland to Italy and the USA, to name just a few, dominating the courts. This global flavor is a great opportunity to attract new audiences to your business.
Year-Round Tennis: The tennis season runs from January to November. That means, with DIRECTV FOR BUSINESS, you can provide your customers with 11 months of on-court action, plus 24/7 coverage, replays and expert analysis on Tennis Channel and college action as well.
How to Watch Tennis on DIRECTV FOR BUSINESS
For DIRECTV FOR BUSINESS customers, showing live tennis is an easy win. Between tournaments taking place nearly all year long—including the four Grand Slam tournaments: Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and US Open—and multiple national networks broadcasting the matches, you can keep screens active from the first serve to match point.
Live men’s and women’s tennis is served by several national networks, including:
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24/7 matches on Tennis Channel: Channel 217
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ESPN and ESPN2: Channels 206 and 209
- ESPN+ for Business
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ABC and NBC: Check local listings
With access to ATP and WTA events, plus college tennis, all season long, DIRECTV FOR BUSINESS will put your business on center court.
5 Ways to Make Your Business an Ace for Tennis Fans
Looking to become the go-to destination to watch tennis? Here are five ways to draw in tennis fans to your business:
Host Grand Slam Watch Parties: Hosting viewing parties, especially for Grand Slam finals, gives tennis fans a space to watch the action on the big screen with likeminded fans.
Build a Roster of Tennis-Themed Specials: From Wimbledon’s classic Strawberries and Cream (which dates back to the 1870s) and Pimm’s Cup cocktail to the US Open’s signature cocktail, the Honey Deuce, help your patrons feel like they’re at the tournament by serving food and drink typically only found courtside.
Set Up a Championship Viewing Experience: Position high-quality screens so it feels like you’re in the stadium. With multi-network coverage through DIRECTV FOR BUSINESS, you can keep patrons tuned into the action all day long.
Promote Your Venue as the Go-To Tennis Spot: Use social media, email and in-venue signage to remind customers you show professional and college tennis all year long.
Give your business a boost with the DIRECTV MVP Marketing Program: Go beyond the match and order signage, coasters, glassware and other items customized to promote your business, plus social media strategies and more.
Other Types of Businesses That Benefit From Showing Tennis
It’s not only sports bars and restaurants that can capitalize on showing professional tennis.
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Tennis Clubs and Pro Shops: Where better to find an engaged audience? Playing the pros on TV in your lounge may even encourage a few more lesson bookings or equipment purchases.
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Hotels and Resorts: Offer premium entertainment in busy lobbies, bars and on-site restaurants.
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Gyms and Fitness Centers: Show matches while gym-goers work out or run on the treadmill.
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Medical offices: Lobby wait times aren’t as bad when the match is playing on TV.
View The Tennis Schedules
One of the great things about tennis is it’s nearly a year-round sport. So that means you get to show almost 12 months of aces, rallies and match points at your business. Of course, while you can watch tennis all year, you’ll want to mark your calendar for the four Grand Slam tournaments:
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Australian Open: The first Grand Slam of the year, the Australian Open is typically held the last two weeks of January.
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French Open: The clay court action at Roland Garros is traditionally played in late May and early June.
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Wimbledon: The oldest and most prestigious tennis tournament, Wimbledon is played on the grass courts of the All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club in London in late June and early July.
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US Open: The final Grand Slam of the year, the US Open is played in New York in late August and into early September.
Not sure when the next tournament is? For the most up-to-date tennis TV schedule and tournament dates, check out the DIRECTV programming guide.
With DIRECTV, It’s Advantage: Your Business
Tennis is just the beginning. DIRECTV FOR BUSINESS puts you center court with a reliable viewing experience designed for live sports entertainment. Enjoy:
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99% signal reliability
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Complimentary standard professional installation
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Dedicated customer support
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Access to Sports Bar Finder to help tennis fans (and potential new customers) discover your location
DIRECTV is a leader in sports and delivers a one-stop shop for live programming across tennis, MLB, MLS, Formula 1, NBA, NHL and more, all through a single streamlined system built for business. Call 888.303.9117 to explore DIRECTV FOR BUSINESS packages for your business.
Don’t miss a match. Explore DIRECTV FOR BUSINESS packages today.
