China Media Group (CMG) signed a memorandum of cooperation (MOC) with the French Tennis Federation over promoting tennis, deepening cooperation in event broadcasting and exploring industry development, among other fronts, on Monday.

Shen Haixiong, president of CMG, and Gilles Moretton, president of the French Tennis Federation, signed the MOC on behalf of the two sides.

Shen said that sport is a broad bridge connecting the world and a common language to communicate with the world. As one of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments around the world, the French Open is popular among Chinese fans. Since 1991, CMG has broadcast the French Open, attracting hundreds of millions of viewers for many years, he added.

At present, CMG has reached an agreement with the French Tennis Federation on extending the broadcasting rights to the tournament, will continue to bring top tennis events to Chinese audiences in the future, actively promote the popularization of tennis in China by jointly holding youth events, and inject impetus into the cultural communication and career development of tennis, Shen noted.

Moretton said that the French Tennis Federation and CMG have a good foundation of cooperation, and hundreds of millions of Chinese fans enjoy the French Open through CMG's broadcasts. He noted that Chinese players also have made many achievements in the French Open, making tennis a beautiful memory to enhance the friendship between Chinese and French people. 

He wishes to deepen communication and cooperation with CMG in the future, so that more Chinese fans can feel the charm of the French Open and to strengthen the development of sports in two countries.

According to the MOC, both sides reached consensus on broadcasting rights on the 2024 to 2028 tennis tournaments. They will jointly promote the French Open, explore cooperation opportunities on the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France, focus on youth tennis events, and boost long-term cooperation in the field of sports.