Tennis
Features
Wimbledon plans to split commercial and marketing roles when Desmond retires
Mick Desmond, outgoing commercial and media director for the All England Lawn Tennis Club, talks to SportBusiness about his plans to retire at the end of the 2021 championships and his hopes that his successor will respect his commercial legacy.
Gareth Balch | Why 2021 consumer behaviour presents an opportunity for sport
Two Circles CEO Gareth Balch explains why 2021 will present a once-in-a-generation opportunity to grow the world’s engagement with sport – making it more important than ever to be a sports marketer
Mission accomplished for ATP and O2 as Finals bids farewell to London
The ATP Finals’ 12-year run in London helped to boost the profile of the event and showcase London's O2 Arena as sports venue. Adam Nelson examines the tournament's stay in the city and looks at how the commercial model will change now that it is moving to Turin.
Tennis Channel looks to become “Netflix of tennis” with domestic, international expansion
The Sinclair-owned outlet continues its rapid rise by becoming the exclusive home of the ATP Tour in US and debuting an international streaming service. Bob Williams reports.
US Open revenues and TV ratings suffer sharp drop but USTA still savors successful grand slam
USTA chief executive Michael Dowse tells SportBusiness how, despite facing multiple unprecedented issues and sharp ratings declines, the organization was able to bring back elite tennis and make a small profit with the US Open. Bob Williams reports
Sky Deutschland retains pay-TV ATP Cup rights
Pay-television broadcaster Sky Deutschland has extended its rights deal for men’s tennis’ ATP Cup, securing live pay-television rights to this year’s tournament in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
S
Singapore to host ATP 250 tournament
Singapore will host an ATP 250 tournament at Singapore Sports Hub's OCBC Arena on February 22-28 on a single-year licence, the ATP has confirmed
IMG promotes tennis and golf events heads
The IMG agency has announced two senior promotions within its media and events team, with Gavin Forbes elevated to executive vice-president and managing director of tennis events, and Grant Slack to serve…
ATP searching for new director of social media
The ATP Tour is looking to recruit a director of social media as it continues to develop its social media channels and digital ecosystem
Sally Hancock | How the LTA changed the face of British Tennis
Sally Hancock, managing partner at Y Sport, looks at how participation in tennis in the UK has grown in spite of the Covid-19 pandemic
US Open retains sponsor portfolio with fee discounts and transparent communications
Lew Sherr, chief revenue officer, US Tennis Association, tells SportBusiness how the US Open managed to retain a full roster of sponsors for the closed-door tournament by offering discounts of up to 50 per cent in some cases.
The inside view as China sacrifices international sports events
The Chinese government recently said the country will not be hosting most of its planned international sports events this year, putting a number of major events in doubt. SportBusiness asked three local industry insiders for their thoughts on the potential for disruption.
Spotify’s collective model inspires new ATP chairman Gaudenzi
ATP chairman Andrea Gaudenzi talks about a challenging first nine months as ATP chairman and explains what tennis can learn from the music industry. Ben Cronin reports.
Gaudenzi: “Linear programming wasn’t a good fit for tennis”
In the latest video interview from SportBusiness, ATP chairman, Andrea Gaudenzi, speaks to Europe editor Ben Cronin about plans to resume the international tennis tour in August and his vision to centralise…
World TeamTennis poised to set significant precedent for staging events in front of fans
Mixed-gender professional tennis league will hold its entire season at The Greenbrier in West Virginia this summer, becoming one of the first sports events in US to be held in front of limited spectators. Bob Williams reports.
What happens when Asia’s sporting legends retire?
The legends of Li Na, Kim Yuna and Lee Chong Wei have all retired and their absences leave gaping holes in their sports back home, one that sponsors and associations are keen to fill as quickly as possible.
“I am working on the Davis Cup 24/7. It is the project of my life” – Gerard Piqué
The first incarnation of the revamped Davis Cup finals is just two months away and Gerard Piqué, the president and founder of sports and media investment group Kosmos Holding, remains bullish that his plans to revive the historic men's team tennis tournament will prove a huge success. Story by Bob Williams.
Brexit and Bribery Act cause Wimbledon to revamp its hospitality
The All England Club has expanded its hospitality offering and introduced a more flexible approach to attract smaller bookings and target high-net-worth individuals. Ben Cronin speaks to James Ralley, AELTC head of marketing and commercial, about the changes.
Kermode defends his ATP achievements following council coup
The decision by the ATP Council not to renew Chris Kermode's contract as ATP executive chairman and president caused surprise when it was announced in March. Ben Cronin speaks to the outgoing tennis chief about his record.
Australian Open grows attendances and revenues by 50 per cent after embracing “choice and entertainment” mantra
Richard Heaselgrave, Tennis Australia's chief revenue officer, tells Adam Nelson how pivoting the first grand slam of the tennis season away from tennis has helped the event to grow dramatically over the past five years.
Kosmos’ Davis Cup shake-up aimed at reviving ‘commercially undervalued’ competition
Investment company looks to transform historic event after 25-year partnership with ITF
Rakuten owner will provide financial backing and help create new app to engage fans
China Digest | Formula E to stage race in Sanya
In this week's China sports industry round-up: Formula E to stage race in Sanya | Alibaba and Tencent invest in City Football Group stakeholders | Tencent extends Tour de France digital rights
The Business of Wimbledon: Brand and Media
Wimbledon's long-term commercial strategy is driven by an increased focus on projecting itself as a global brand and protecting its standing as a premium sports property. Ben Cronin speaks to Mick Desmond, commercial and media director for the All England Club (AELTC) and James Ralley, head of marketing, commercial and hospitality about how this strategy boosts the value of its media rights.
The Business of Wimbledon: Social media and marketing
Wimbledon’s long-term commercial strategy is driven by an increased focus on projecting itself as a global brand and protecting its standing as a premium sports property. In part three, Ben Cronin speaks to Alexandra Willis, head of communications, content & digital to investigate the grand slam's more permissive approach to activation online.
The Business of Wimbledon: Sponsorship
Wimbledon’s long-term commercial strategy is driven by an increased focus on projecting itself as a global brand and protecting its standing as a premium sports property. In part two of a series on the tournament, Ben Cronin asks Mick Desmond, head of commercial and media for the All England Club and James Ralley, head of commercial and marketing, why the grand slam deliberately limits the number of its sponsors.
USTA completes US Open renovation on time and on budget
Danny Zausner, managing director of the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, tells SportBusiness why the Flushing Meadows campus was redesigned and how the new Louis Armstrong Stadium will be monetized.
China Digest | Wigan set for Chinese takeover
In this week's China sports industry round-up: Wigan set for Chinese takeover; Chinese-owned Wolves strike Adidas deal; and CSL first to join Twitter
World Cup of Tennis | Piqué influence and Rakuten investment underpins ITF’s Davis Cup revamp
The ITF has struck a 25-year, $3bn partnership with the Kosmos investment group to replace the Davis Cup with a season-ending, one-week World Cup of Tennis. ITF president David Haggerty and chief operating officer Kelly Fairweather spoke to Ben Cronin about the changes at the recent SportAccord.