New Delhi (PTI): ESPN STAR Sports has acquired the rights to broadcast WTA Bangalore Open for three years.

This year, ESPN STAR Sports will show 20 matches live from the WTA Bangalore Open which starts on March 3.

The tournament will feature women tennis stars like Venus Williams, Serena Williams and Jelena Jankovic for the first time on Indian soil as well as many other players like Patty Schnyder, Agnes Szavay, Maria Kirilenko and Vera Zvonareva from the world's top 30.

The Bangalore Open is a Category II event with total prize money of USD 600,000. The winner takes home an impressive sum of USD 95,000 and 300 WTA points.

"We are extremely delighted to partner with Karnataka State Lawn Tennis Association for this tennis extravaganza. This is in line with our overall strategy of constantly promoting the viewership of sports like soccer, tennis and hockey in the country," R C Venkateish, Managing Director, ESPN Software India Pvt. Ltd. said.