The WTA Tour is shutting down its streaming service in the U.S. on Dec. 30 when a new television deal with Tennis Channel commences. The WTA launched WTATV last year, and it has 4,000 subscribers in the U.S. The number is double or triple that overseas, where the OTT offering will continue to be available. WTATV shows matches from all WTA events. The WTA in September agreed to move its U.S. television deal from beIN to Tennis Channel. beIN often bumped tennis for other sports, leading to incessant complaints from tennis fans. Tennis Channel has its own streaming service, Tennis Channel Plus, and did not want WTATV competing with that. “The WTA’s new multi-platform partnership with the Tennis Channel will ensure the WTA content previously aired on WTATV will be available across Tennis Channel’s linear and digital channels as the Tennis Channel becomes the official media home of WTA tennis in the United States,” a WTA spokesperson wrote in an email.
A screen grab from the WTATV website shows the announcement of the shutdown
