The United States Tennis Association and AEG today announced a partnership to jointly develop new initiatives to elevate the excitement, visibility and financial viability of professional tennis in the United States.

The USTA, the national governing body of tennis in the United States, and AEG, one of the world’s leading sports, entertainment and facility management companies, will explore the development of a series of high-profile tennis events in the Summer months held at state-of-the-art venues, potentially linked to a new, consistent television package that would include the US Open. For the first time, the USTA will offer to various tournaments the opportunity to link the US Open and existing business partnerships to such events, while AEG will investigate the development and construction of state-of-the-art tennis facilities. AEG recently broke ground on a sports complex on the campus of California State University, Dominguez Hills in Carson, Ca., that will house a 13,000-seat tennis stadium and other playing and training facilities.

‘The success of any professional sport relies on a strong, consistent television package and world-class facilities,’ said Arlen Kantarian, Chief Executive, Professional Tennis, USTA. ‘Our partnership with AEG, along with our initiative to secure a summer-wide television package, will hopefully provide new resources to help lift the entire sport. AEG is a recognized leader in its field, and we look forward to working with them to enhance the image of the pro game and bring tennis to a much broader audience.’

The USTA last Fall initiated a six-month study with more than 30 industry leaders to explore opportunities to significantly enhance the exposure of professional tennis in the United States. Over the past few months, the USTA has spoken with officials at the ATP and Sanex WTA Tours, players, tournaments, sponsors and broadcasters to address the state of the professional game in this country. The AEG partnership is the first manifestation of this effort.

‘AEG is committed to the future of tennis in America from a participatory and fan stand point,’ said Timothy J. Leiweke, President, AEG. ‘We view the USTA as the perfect partner with which to explore programming opportunities. They are directly connected to more than 650,000 tennis players and fans and are the owners and operators of arguably the greatest professional tennis event in the world, the US Open. We believe in the USTA’s new vision and direction and we are confident that this great sport will reach the highest levels of popularity and success that tennis in the United States has ever achieved.’

AEG has recently broken ground on a 13,000-seat tennis stadium in Carson, Ca. Set to open in the summer of 2003, the facility, which will also be the home of the Pete Sampras Tennis Academy, is being designed by Rossetti and Associates, the same firm that designed Arthur Ashe Stadium at the USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing, N.Y., home of the US Open. The USTA is in discussions with AEG about bringing tennis programming to the Carson complex.

‘The USTA and its Board of Directors fully embrace this new initiative, which will help achieve our mission of promoting and developing the growth of the sport,’ said Merv Heller, President, USTA. ‘We feel this partnership will generate visibility for the pro game, and ultimately grow the sport through increased participation in communities across the United States.’

The USTA owns and stages the US Open and selects and supports the teams that represent the United States in Davis Cup, Fed Cup and the Olympic Games. The USTA, the national governing body for the sport of tennis in the United States, is a not-for-profit organization with more than 650,000 members. It invests all its resources to promote and develop the growth of tennis, from the grass roots to the professional levels. For more information on the USTA, log on to usta.com.

AEG is one of the leading sports and entertainment presenters in the world. AEG, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Anschutz Corporation, owns or controls a collection of companies including facilities such as STAPLES Center, the London Arena, The Forum (as exclusive booking agent for sports and entertainment programming), and the Kodak Theater (as operator); sports franchises including the Los Angeles Kings (NHL), six MLS franchises and six hockey franchises operated in Europe; AEG Marketing, a sponsorship, sales, naming rights and consulting company; Concerts West and Golden Voice, live entertainment promotion and touring companies.

For further information please contact:

Eric Handler
USTA
T: (914) 696-7284
E: handler@usta.com

Michael Roth
AEG
T: (213) 742-7155
E: mroth@staplescenter.com