Tennis South Africa (TSA) and the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) on Monday announced a new three-year media rights partnership.

According to a TSA statement, the collaboration will commence later this month and includes a monthly TSA magazine show and nine live weekend broadcasts per contract year - showcasing existing tournaments hosted in the country, as well as two newly created prize money events.

The half-hour format monthly magazine show will be a fast-paced look at all areas of local tennis - including shining a spotlight on South Africa's current and emerging tennis stars.

Meanwhile, the nine live broadcasts will include coverage of selected ATP Challenger and ITF World Tennis Tour events currently hosted in South Africa, the David Samaai Junior Open (an ITF elite junior Grade A tournament), a Tie Break Tens exhibition event and the SABC Slam - a new big prize money event for local male and female players.

"I'm really excited about being able to get South African tennis events back where they belong - live, on the SABC. This is good for SABC Sport, good for Tennis South Africa and great for the millions of South Africans who love the game and want to re-connect with the local experience, as much as to what is happening internationally," said Gary Rathbone, the General Manager of SABC Sport.

"We believe we can pay a key role in building the image and profile of tennis in our country and allow the game to touch the lives of millions more South Africans. To Tennis South Africa, all I can add is, welcome home."

TSA CEO Richard Glover added: "Tennis in South Africa is on an upwards trajectory, but for the sport to achieve its true potential it needs to reach as many South Africans as possible. Our new free to air broadcast partnership with the SABC provides us with a powerful platform from which to achieve this goal.

"We love the new SABC Sport vision and look forward to working closely with Gary and his team to showcase the best of local tennis over the next three years."

Rathbone concluded: "We know how big the game of tennis still is in this country and to our audiences. Over many decades, South Africa produced some really talented players who went on to play top class international tennis, and still continues to do so with recent feats by the likes of Kevin Anderson, Lloyd Harris, Raven Klaasen and Kgothatso Montjane.

"SABC Sport is therefore at the centre of showcasing the next raising talented group of players and bringing tennis into the homes of our audiences is the step in the right direction to inspire the future tennis champions."

Source: News24