ATP Tennis Inks Corona Extra
Corona Extra will become the new global premier partner of the ATP World Tour under a sponsorship deal announced today that will begin later this year.
Corona Extra replaces Mercedes-Benz which had been the ATP's longtime premier partner until its deal expired in 2008, after 12 years.
As part of the 5½ year agreement, Corona Extra becomes the official beer sponsor of the ATP World Tour and will have significant presence at ATP World Tour events around the world, including net branding at all ATP events and other on and off-site marketing rights.
“We are thrilled to welcome Corona Extra as the ATP’s new global premier partner. Corona Extra is a respected, premium brand enjoyed in 160 countries, which is a great fit for ATP tennis,” said Adam Helfant, ATP Executive Chairman and President. “We are experiencing one of the most exciting periods in the history of men’s professional tennis, and the commitment of this fantastic brand reflects the appeal of our game. We look forward to the creativity and marketing expertise our partners at Grupo Modelo will bring to the ATP World Tour.”
Corona Extra has been a sponsor of individual ATP tournaments in Acapulco, Mexico for 16 years and Toronto, Canada for four years.
“At Grupo Modelo we are committed to promoting sports not only in Mexico but all over the world, and we are very proud to be venturing into world tennis through our Corona Extra brand and the prestigious ATP World Tour,” said José Parés, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer for Grupo Modelo, the leading company in Mexico in beer production, distribution and marketing, and maker of Corona Extra. “We have admired the success of the sport in recent years and view the ATP World Tour as a terrific platform for us globally.”
In addition to multi-country marketing activation, according to today's announcement Corona Extra will be integrated into programming on ATPWorldTour.com and ATP World Tour Uncovered, the Tour’s weekly television show which currently airs in 147 countries.
The "Premier Partner" level is the ATP's richest sponsorship offering and has been vacant since Mercedes-Benz did not renew its deal. SBJ's Daniel Kaplan reports that The ATP will buy out several ATP tournaments' current beer deals, such as the Sony Ericsson Open's current sponsorship with Heineken.
