Audiovisual rights: Amazon becomes the first GAFA to enter the sports rights market in France

The e-commerce site Amazon has become the first GAFA to enter the French sports rights market, with the acquisition, for its VoD platform Prime Video, of lot 2 of the French call for tenders for the broadcasting rights to the Roland Garros tennis tournament for the 2021-2023 cycle on 25/07/2019.

Lot 2 concerns the exclusive rights to the matches played on Simonne-Mathieu court and those played in the evening on the Philippe-Chatrier court (which will have a roof over it), as well as the rights to co-broadcast the semi-finals and finals with France Télévisions, holder of Lot 1.

Amazon's entry is therefore made through the acquisition of tennis rights, as was the case in the United Kingdom and Ireland, where the e-commerce site first acquired the broadcasting rights for 37 ATP World Tour tournaments (excluding Grand Slam tournaments), for the 2019-2023 cycle, on 17/11/2017, then those of the US Open Grand Slam (2018-2022 cycle), on 19/04/2018, and finally those of 49 WTA tournaments (excluding Grand Slams) for the 2020-2024 cycle, on 12/06/2019.

Between these last two acquisitions…