The All England Lawn Tennis Club, the organiser of the UK's prestigious Wimbledon championships, has renewed its partnership with Jaguar, the luxury car brand, for a further five years.
Jaguar will continue as the official car supplier of the grand slam tournament held in south-west London, and supply a fleet of vehicles to support the event.
The contract extension will see the relationship extend beyond a decade. Jaguar became one of the Wimbledon's official suppliers in 2015.
This year, the partnership will see Jaguar launch an 'Unmatched Experiences' campaign, which will showcase Wimbledon’s key players and traditions, with the aim to enhance the fan experience at a time when attendance by spectators will be limited.
Meanwhile, the interactive Jaguar Ace Pace Wimbledon Edition app will continue, with fans able to measure the speed of their tennis serve and challenge other users.
Mick Desmond, commercial and media director at the AELTC, said: “We are delighted that Jaguar will be extending its support of The Championships as Official Car for a further five years. Bringing our fans closer to Wimbledon is key and Jaguar’s “Unmatched Experiences” campaign ties in perfectly with our approach.
How well do you really know your competitors?
Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.
Thank you!
Your download email will arrive shortly
Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample
We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form
By GlobalData“As part of our environment positive commitment, we are working hard to reduce carbon emissions to net-zero by 2030, and Jaguar is playing an important role in helping us achieve this commitment by showcasing the zero-emission I-PACE cars within the Wimbledon fleet.”
Anthony Bradbury, marketing director of Jaguar Land Rover UK, added: “We are delighted to renew our partnership with the All England Club which will see our support of Wimbledon extend to more than a decade.
“When it comes to global sporting events, Wimbledon is truly unmatched. Like Wimbledon we are looking to push the boundaries of innovation to do things in an exciting and unexpected way. In showcasing the Jaguar I-PACE in this partnership, it reaffirms our joint commitment to create a more sustainable future with electrification at its heart.”
Meanwhile, the AELTC has revealed this year’s Wimbledon finals will have full crowds, as they serve as fan pilots for the mass return of spectators to sporting events in the UK following lockouts caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
The men's and women's singles finals will both have full attendances of 15,000 on Centre Court.
Up until the finals, the tournament will have 50 per cent capacity.
Wimbledon is scheduled to begin on 28 June, with the women's and men's singles finals scheduled for 10 and 11 July respectively.
Capacity is being increased for Wimbledon despite UK prime minister Boris Johnson having announced yesterday that the lifting of remaining lockdown restrictions was being delayed until 19 July.
In a statement, the AELTC, said: "We are pleased to have worked closely with the government, public health bodies, and our local authority in Merton, to confirm that, as part of this next phase of pilot events, the Championships 2021 will begin on Monday 28 June with 50% capacity across the grounds, building to full capacity crowds of 15,000 on Centre Court for the finals weekend.
"This will enable us to fulfil our aspiration of staging the best Wimbledon possible within the current circumstances, with the health and safety of all those who make Wimbledon happen – our guests, competitors, members, staff, media, officials, local residents, and partners – remaining our highest priority."
Elsewhere, the capacity of Wembley Stadium in London will be increased to around 45,000 for the later stages of soccer’s Uefa European Championships.
The first match with an increased attendance will be the round-of-16 tie on 29 June.
Currently, 22,500 spectators are permitted to attend games, which is already over double the 10,000 that were allowed at English Premier League games in May.
Fans have to provide proof they are fully vaccinated or present a negative Covid-19 test on arrival to the stadium.
Both Wimbledon and Euro 2020 are fan pilot events, and therefore exempt from strict capacity limits being enforced elsewhere.
Meanwhile, Royal Ascot, the prestigious UK horse racing meeting, which gets underway today, will admit 12,000 spectators per day.
The event runs to 19 June, and the daily attendance at Ascot is three times the 4,000 presently permitted at other racecourses.
Last year, Wimbledon was cancelled, while Royal Ascot went ahead, but without spectators, as a result of Covid-19.
In other developments, France Televisions, the French public-service broadcaster, drew a sizeable audience of 4.4 million viewers for the French Open men’s singles final between Serbian star Novak Djokovic and Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas on Sunday.
The average figure on France 2 was the highest for the final since 2012, while the audience share of 36.4 per cent was the highest since 2008, as Djokovic came from two sets down at Roland Garros to win by three sets to two and claim his 19th grand slam title.
On Saturday, France Televisions averaged 1.7 million viewers, a 20.3 per cent share, for the women’s singles final in which Barbora Krejcikova of the Czech Republic claimed her first grand slam with a three-set victory over Russia’s Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.
Across the entire French Open, France Televisions attracted 39 million viewers, with an average of 1.6 million, an 17.7 per cent share, in the afternoons.
The public broadcaster shares domestic coverage of the tournament with internet giant Amazon, which holds exclusive rights to matches on Court Simonne-Mathieu and the evening sessions.