At the 2001 Tennis Masters Cup, ATP Properties announced three licensing agreements as part of its initial steps in securing successful marketing partners for the ATP, the governing body of the men’s professional tennis circuit.
The new agreements approved by the ATP Board of Directors this week are with Lotto Sport Italia (apparel and shoes), Luxilon Industries (strings and grips) and GreenSet (court surface). The deals are worth $4 million over the next five years.
‘Since ATP Properties was formed this year, one of our goals has been to seek licensing partnerships with tennis industry companies that share not only our passion for the sport, but also our vision for promoting and growing tennis in the 21st Century,’ said Larry Scott, President of ATP Properties. ‘All three of these partners not only offer innovative, high-quality products, they bring creative marketing minds to the promotion of our sport and the ATP brand.’
As part of the five-year worldwide agreement with Lotto Sport Italia that commences in 2002, the Italian sporting good manufacturer will produce ATP-branded clothing lines and shoe models. The agreement includes a Lotto player program as well as advertising and promotional commitments to ATP TV broadcasters, ATPtennis.com and ATP publications.
‘Lotto has long been dedicated to tennis with many famous champions such as Boris Becker, Martina Navratilova and Thomas Muster who have been proud to wear and endorse Lotto products,’ said Lotto Sport Italia Vice President Edoardo Artaldi. ‘Today, Lotto has decided to choose ATP, the governing tennis body, to emphasize its commitment to this sport, and to develop top-performance product lines as well as an important player program with a worldwide communications activity.’
The three-year partnership with Luxilon follows the Belgium company’s increasing popularity among ATP players. Luxilon’s ‘Big Banger’ range of strings are now used by more than 50 of the top 200 players on the ATP circuit, including the ATP’s No. 1 player in 2000, Gustavo ‘Guga’ Kuerten, and rising star Juan Carlos Ferrero, winner of the 2001 Tennis Masters Series Roma. Luxilon will feature the ATP brand on all its tennis strings and grips, and provide products to ATP players.
‘We’re delighted of course with our partnership with the ATP as we share the same high standards of quality,’ said Bob Daelemans, Director of Luxilon’s tennis division. ‘Luxilon has numerous professional players to ascertain this fact, and the recent international development of the brand will certainly be confirmed and even improved by this partnership.’
As the Official Surface of the ATP, GreenSet will supply the court surface at the next three Tennis Masters Cup events when it is played on an indoor hard court. The prestigious year-end finale will be played next year in Shanghai, China. The GreenSet Grand Prix surface, used this week in Sydney, already can be found at a number of ATP events. The company recently was purchased by former ATP player Javier Sanchez Vicario, who led a group of Spanish investors that included his sister, tennis pro Arantxa Sanchez Vicario.
‘For a company like GreenSet that specializes in tennis courts, it’s great to have the confidence of the ATP,’ said Javier Sanchez Vicario. ‘It guarantees to all our customers that our courts are of the highest quality since they’re being used by the best players in the world at premier events like the Tennis Masters Cup. We plan to work closely with the ATP as partners to develop and improve our courts.’
‘In the area of licensed products, we want to be associated with quality products that our player and tournament members use and endorse,’ Scott said. ‘Lotto, Luxilon and GreenSet certainly fall into this category, so we expect our partnerships with all three of them will continue to enhance our on-going efforts to extend and enhance the ATP brand.’
For further information please contact:
Graeme Agars
ATP VP Media Relations
Sydney
+612/9746-1260
Matt Rapp
VP Communications
mrapp@atptennis.com
904/285-8000
Annabel Hall
ATP Properties
ahall@atptennis.com
+44-20-7352-3852