ESPN today signed an 11-year deal with the US Tennis Association to become the exclusive home of the US Tennis Open, beginning in 2015. CBS has held rights to the semifinals and finals of the Open since 1968. The deal was estimated to be worth $770 million, according to industry analysts.

ESPN said it also has acquired exclusive rights to the Emirates Airline US Open Series, which takes place in the five weeks leading up to the US Tennis Open in late August.

ESPN said it has aired an average of 100 hours of US Open coverage since 2009, but that would increase to more than 130 hours when the new deal kicks in.

“This wide-ranging and broad relationship with ESPN positions tennis at the forefront of American sports,” said Dave Haggerty, chairman of the board, CEO and president of the USTA, during a media conference call Wednesday. “By teaming with [ESPN], the USTA will continue to ensure that tennis at every level thrives in the United States.”

Barry Janoff is director of sports media marketing initiatives for PromaxBDA. He also is the executive editor for NYSportsJournalism.com, which covers national sports marketing, business and media news; and a contributing writer for Yahoo! and MediaPost.

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