Sony LIV to livestream the Australian Open for free

The company has bagged the digital rights of the event for its web and mobile platforms.

Sony Pictures Network (SPN) has announced that its over-the-top digital platform Sony LIV will livestream the Australian Open, the international tennis tournament, for free. The live matches will be available for viewing from January 18-31, on the SonyLiv Android and iOS Mobile app, as well as the Sony LIV website.

The announcement comes close on the heels of the launch of SPN's sports channel Sony ESPN. The Australian Open had, in fact, marked the kickstart of this collaboration between the two companies.

The Australian Open will be the year's first tennis Grand Slam competition with tennis aces such as Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray and Maria Sharapova, as well as Indian players Sania Mirza and Somdev Devvarman slamming it out on the courts. Winners from the last season, Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams will also return to the court to defend their respective titles.

An official statement adds that for those who miss the matches, a video-on-demand, which will capture key highlights and special moments of every match along with interviews and press conferences, will be available on the very same day.

Uday Sodhi, executive vice-president and head, digital business, SPN, says, "As a category, sports is very significant for Sony LIV audiences, and hence, we have been increasing our content portfolio to include major sporting events. The Australian Open will be livestreamed on Sony LIV since we have the digital rights for the event for its mobile and web platforms."