It looks like it’s game, set and tournament for ESPN.
The cable sports giant is said to be near a deal to steal away the US Open tennis championships from CBS — where it has aired in one form or another since 1968.
ESPN is ready to pay about $60 million for the rights — 50 percent more than the current fee — starting in 2015, according to a report.
CBS, the Tennis Channel and ESPN each air pieces of the Big Apple extravaganza, and the rights fees are now split among the networks.
Under the deal being talked about between ESPN and the US Tennis Association, which owns the two-week tourney, the Disney-owned cable network would gain the rights to the entire event, according to SportsBusiness Journal, which first reported on the talks.
The men’s finals, which have recently been aired on a Monday night, are expected to switch back to Sunday evening so they won’t conflict with ESPN’s telecast of Monday Night Football.
Sources cautioned, however, that negotiations are still taking place and that CBS could up its bid and retain US Open rights.
Last year’s men’s final was seen by 16 million viewers, up from 11.8 million the previous year and the highest total since 2007.
ESPN sublicenses some of its games to the Tennis Channel. It is unclear if the Bristol, Conn., network would continue that arrangement.
ESPN declined comment. Neither CBS, Tennis Channel nor USTA had any immediate response.
ESPN, which costs distributors more than $5 a month per subscriber, has come in for harsh criticism from many quarters for its expensive content.