At the Chase Championships at MSG yesterday, the WTA
Tour formally announced a five-year deal making Sara Lee's
Sanex brand the Tour's worldwide title sponsor beginning in
January 2000. The Tour will be known as the Sanex WTA Tour,
and the official weekly women's tennis rankings will be
called the Sanex WTA Tour Rankings. WTA Tour CEO Bart
McGuire: "Sanex brings to us a sponsorship and a sponsorship
fee that is substantially greater than the Tour has ever had
in the history of its existence" (WTA Tour). USA TODAY's
Doug Smith reports that the deal is "believed to be worth"
$32M (USA TODAY, 11/18). The N.Y. TIMES reports that while
neither Sanex nor the WTA would "confirm the amount" of the
deal, it is believed to be worth $35M (N.Y. TIMES, 11/18).
MAKING PLAYERS WEAR THE PATCH: The deal includes
signage, hospitality and other on-site benefits at int'l
Tour events. While Sanex receives limited benefits in North
America, at least through the first two years of the deal,
the company will have its patches on players' outfits at all
events. But WTA Tour CEO Bart McGuire said "there may be
contracts that preclude [players from] wearing the patch on
the shirt, in which case the players will be wearing the
patch on hats or head bands or visors. ... If they don't
consistently wear the patch, then we will have them doing
something special and very important for Sanex in the Tour,
such as appearing in Sanex ads or spending a couple of days
with Sanex people in Pro-Ams and clinics" (THE DAILY).
U.S. ROLLOUT SLOW: McGuire said the reason for Sanex
receiving limited benefits for the first two years is that
the company "does not as yet have a presence in North
America." But McGuire added that Sanex does "have an option
to buy the North American benefits for the last three years
of the contract." McGuire also said the Tour is "out on the
marketplace" for a North American sponsor with the benefits
of net posts, wall banners and hospitality (THE DAILY).
EARLY EXPOSURE: FSN led its coverage of the Chase
Championships last night with news of the deal. Sara Lee
Exec VP Frank Meysman, on why Sanex chose to sponsor the
Tour: "Women's tennis is on the rise. It's a growing
business. We all know that." The Sanex logo was on the
sides of the net for last night's Amelie Mauresmo-Lindsay
Davenport match ("Chase Championships," FSN, 11/17).
