GUIDE: How to Watch the U.S. Open on TV & Streaming
Grand Slam season is almost over. With Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz already claiming titles this year, all eyes are on who will join them on the winner's board. Beginning on August 26th, the world’s best tennis players will descend on USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York to battle for the last remaining Grand Slam title of 2024. The reigning champ is Novak Djokovic, who will be feeling the pressure. The last time he went without one of the big four titles was in 2017, which adds another level of intrigue to what is already a fascinating tournament. Can he continue his amazing streak, or will this be the official changing of the guard?
In this article, we will let you know how to watch the U.S. Open live on TV and how to stream in the US. We will go over the tournament schedule, key players and, of course, offer up some predictions. Let’s talk some tennis.
U.S. Open Championship 2024
- Dates: August 26 - September 8, 2024
- Location: USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, Flushing Meadows, New York City
- Previous Winner: Novak Djokovic (Men's Singles) & Coco Gauff (Women's Singles)
- TV Rights: ESPN, ABC
- Streaming Rights: ESPN+, ESPN3, Tennis Channel, official U.S. Open streaming platforms
Viewing Options
Cable and Satellite Options
If you want to watch the US Open on live Cable or Satellite television, then you will need packages that include ESPN and ABC, which, thankfully, gives you plenty of options. Big-name brands such as Cox, DirecTV, and Verizon Fios, which we regularly recommend, include these channels. They also offer you access to the Tennis Channel, which extends your US Open content availability even further. These packages start around the $61 per month mark and can extend up to $159.99 a month, depending on your plan, giving you a lot of bang for your buck. Not only will you be able to enjoy almost every shot from the US Open, but you will also get access to a huge variety of other sports, entertainment, and news channels. For specific channel details on each service, visit their websites.
- Cox - $61.00–$152.00/mo.
- DirecTV - $69.99–$159.99/mo
- Dish - $84.99-$114.99
- Verizon Fios - $69.00–$129.00/mo.
Streaming Services
An alternative option to cable and satellite is the various streaming services, which have become increasingly popular over recent years. These offer a broad array of channels as well but with the added benefit of better flexibility and other perks. Since ESPN and ABC are widely available, most of the major streaming services will allow you to tune into the US Open. Sling TV, at $55 a month, is the cheapest package you will see in this guide, and Hulu + Live TV is another great option, as it comes with Disney+ and ESPN+ included. Access to the latter is particularly significant for the US Open.
Whilst most cable, satellite, and streaming packages will give you comprehensive coverage of the US Open through ESPN, ABC, and Tennis Channel, it is important to note that they won’t all include all of the action. ESPN+, which is essentially an optional add-on for ESPN users, is showing some of the matches and analysis, and requires an additional subscription. It is likely that this will be throughout the earlier stages of the tournament, but this has not yet been confirmed. If you are a die-hard tennis fan, then it would be worth keeping an eye out for this announcement. If you decide you do want that additional content, you can get an ESPN+ subscription for $10.99 per month, or subscribe to Hulu + Live TV, which has it included.
- fuboTV: $79.99 per month
- YouTube TV: $72.99 per month
- Hulu + Live TV: $76.99 per month
- SlingTV: $55 per month
How to Watch the U.S. Open for Free
If you are looking to enjoy the U.S. Open without committing to a costly subscription, there are a couple of good options to consider. The easiest way to do this is to capitalize on the generous free trials offered by the streaming services listed above. Most of these will offer a 5 or 7-day free trial, which can be used one after another to get free access throughout the tournament. Just be sure to remember to cancel the free trial(s) before they finish, otherwise, you will be charged the monthly fee.
Another alternative option is to purchase an over-the-air antenna, which may set you back approximately $30. With this, you can tune into the US Open on ABC for free, provided you are in the range of an ABC broadcast station.
Tournament Information
The U.S. Open is the final grand slam of the tennis season, annually bringing the world’s best players to the UTSA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York. After a long and arduous season, this is a tough test for the best that the men’s and women’s game has to offer, demanding power, precision, and endurance.
It was the everlasting Novak Djokovic who reigned supreme in the men’s tournament last year, outlasting a very talented Daniil Medvedev, who went on to be the runner-up in this year’s Australian Open as well. Djokovic fell in convincing fashion to Carlos Alcaraz in straight sets in the most recent Grand Slam, Wimbledon, which doesn't bode well for the tennis great as he attempts to prevent his first Grand Slam-less season since 2017.
Coco Gauff was crowned the champion of the women’s U.S. Open after coming back from one set down to defeat Aryna Sabalenka, who would become world number one not long after. Gauff was just 19 years old at the time, making the victory even more impressive.
U.S. Open 2024 - Preview & Predictions
The men’s betting markets provide a familiar story, with Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic standing clear at the top, and Janik Sinner falling in just behind them. It’s hard to look beyond those three, with Alcaraz and Sinner the only two players to win a Grand Slam this year, and Novak Djokovic still offering a very potent threat, despite his age. Djokovic’s narrow victory over Alcaraz in the Olympics gave him a 4-3 edge in their head-to-head results, dating back to 2022, and it served as a very useful reminder that the demolishing he received at Wimbledon did not signify the end. There is so little between them, and given Djokovic has the added motivation of not finishing the year without a Grand Slam, and the fact that he is further removed from the injury that threatened his Wimbledon, he gets the edge for me.
For the women, things are much more open. Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka are locked together at the top of the betting market, with Coco Gauff, Elena Rybakina, and Naomi Osaka all in hot pursuit. Swiatek is the current world’s number one, but she did just have her 21-match winning streak ruined by Qinweng Zheng in the Olympics semi-finals. The 21-year-old went on to win the gold medal, continuing what has been a very promising season for her in 2024. Jasmine Paolini is another name to watch, having been runner-up in each of the last two Grand Slam tournaments. For my prediction, I am going to give the edge to Aryna Sabalenka, who skipped the Olympics and will be fresher entering this tough test.
Author: Venuse, Inc.