The 2023 US Open Tennis Championships achieved remarkable attendance records, welcoming 957,287 fans and celebrating 50 years of equal prize money. The tournament’s success in promoting gender equality in prize money remains a significant achievement in the world of sports. However, ESPN’s streaming issues, stemming from a disagreement over channel fees, disrupted the viewing experience for millions of subscribers, observes GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

GlobalData’s latest report “US Open Tennis Championships 2023 Post Event Analysis” reveals that this year’s competition saw 25 broadcast deals and 22 brands agree to sponsor the tournament. Importantly, the 2023 edition of the tournament celebrated 50 years of equal prize money.

Oliva Snooks, Associate Analyst of Sport Analysis at GlobalData comments: “The tournament’s attendance has exponentially increased since the COVID-19 pandemic, where the tournament saw zero spectators in attendance. The success of this year’s US Open was reflected by its attendance records. The women’s final between Coco Gauff and Aryna Sabalenka was the tournament highlight. It showcased women’s sport at its best and fans were lucky enough to see an American teenager live up to the expectation that had surrounded her.”

ESPN is one of the tournament’s main broadcasters and it saw great success this year in terms of viewership. However, ESPN faced challenges due to failing to reach an agreement over channel fees. ESPN coverage was pulled from 15 million Spectrum cable subscribers. Unfortunately, these issues have been very common over recent years due to the rise of the streaming model.

Snooks continues: “It is encouraging to see how popular live sport is, however, the ongoing issues regarding streaming and cable are disrupting sports viewership. For many, live sport is of great interest, and for so many viewers to lose coverage, it is a great shame for the broadcasters, the sport, and its viewers.”

Equal prize money is a great asset, which the OS Open possesses. As the tournament is one of the world’s most prestigious Grand Slam tournaments, it continues to deliver the most prize money of any single event on the ATP and WTA tours. The US Open leads the way in proving equal opportunities for male and female tennis stars.

Snooks concludes: “The 2023 US Open Tennis Championships underscore the remarkable 50-year legacy of equal prize money, setting an example of gender equality in sports. This year’s tournament exemplified the thriving success of women’s sports. Yet, ESPN’s streaming disruptions serve as a stark reminder of the hurdles faced in delivering live sports content in the digital era. The journey towards equitable and seamless sports viewing experiences continues.”