Whirlpool Re-Ups With WTA Via Three-Year Extension

By Daniel Kaplan, Staff Writer, SportsBusiness Journal

Maria Sharapova Receives Whirlpool 6th Sense Player Of The Year Award In Madrid Today

The Sony Ericsson WTA Tour is expected to announce today a three-year extension of its Whirlpool sponsorship. The deal is for Europe only. Whirlpool will create a marketing campaign tied to the WTA deal to raise awareness of the Whirlpool 6th sense technology. Activities include broadcast sponsorship of women’s tennis on Eurosport and significant on-court signage presence at tournaments throughout Europe, including the Sony Ericsson Championships. Further efforts include print ads utilizing Tour stars, sponsorship of the Tour’s TV News Service in Europe, the “Aces for Homes” charity program in partnership with Habitat for Humanity and Whirlpool Fantasy Tennis, which lets fans elect teams of real players and chart their progress throughout the season. In addition to its title deal with Sony Ericsson, the WTA has regional sponsorship deals. Since ‘04, in Europe, it has been with Whirlpool. In the U.S., Porsche has rights, and in Asia, Dubai Duty Free has sponsorship rights.