Mobile phone manufacturer Sony Ericsson, which in 2005 became the biggest sponsor in the history of women's sports when it signed an endorsement agreement with the WTA Tour, is to extend its partnership for a further two years. The sponsorship deal will expire in 2012, it was announced today.
It is doubtful that any player has been as actively involved in the partnership between the WTA Tour and Sony Ericsson as Ana, with the former world No.1 starring in a raft of activities, such as the record-breaking $40million "Never Miss A Shot" commercial in 2006, as well as several ambitious stunts like "Tennis On An Island" in Doha, tennis on a hotel rooftop in Rome, and "Street Tennis" in Toronto.
"Sony Ericsson has been a great partner for women's tennis," said Ana. "Like all of the players, I am very happy that we will continue to work together. They've set up some fun and innovative events over the years and I'm excited to see what they have planned for the future."
Stacey Allaster, Chairman and CEO of the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour, commented: "Sony Ericsson has been an incredible partner for the last five years and this extension is both a real sign of strength and stability, and a testament to the investment value delivered by our players and tournaments.
"We are very pleased that Sony Ericsson will remain our partner and we look forward to continuing to deliver to fans and taking women’s tennis and Sony Ericsson to new heights through our joint vision for the future of the sport.”
Under the terms of the new agreement, Sony Ericsson will no longer be the title sponsor of women's tennis, and thus the female circuit will revert to its original name of the "WTA Tour" later this year. However, Sony Ericsson will remain as the main sponsor of the sport, with high visibility net signage, among other branding, present at all 53 tournaments in 33 countries.
Aldo Liguori, Corporate VP and Head of Global Communications & PR, Sony Ericsson said, “Our relationship with the WTA Tour over the past five years has been tremendously successful giving us significant international brand exposure and awareness. We are delighted to be extending this relationship for a further two years as we take the company into a new stage of growth.”
