According to reports, the deal is worth a similar amount to the $13 million annually Mercedes-Benz was paying until the end of 2008.
Corona’s logo will start appearing on nets at ATP World Tour events from May. Two-thirds of all events on the men’s tour will have Corona net branding from 2011, according to ATP executive chairman Adam Helfant.
“We went a year without a tour sponsor, this obviously means more revenue for the tour and also some really creative marketing,” said Helfant. “Beer companies have been associated with sports in a significant way for a long time. We’re not breaking new ground here. We think Corona is a good fit for us.”
In the summer of 2008 the ATP came close to signing insurance company Aviva as its top sponsor, a deal scuppered by the global financial meltdown. Last autumn, the ATP also had advanced discussions with car manufacturer Toyota.
Corona is joint-owned by Grupo Modelo of Mexico and Anheuser-Busch. The deal marks the first time a beer company has become a top tennis sponsor.
