From This Week’s Trades: TTC Signs French Open Sponsors

The Tennis Channel CEO Ken Solomon said that the network’s inaugural French Open coverage will include commercials from Land Rover, LaCoste, Coppertone, Zatarain’s and Raymond James, as well as Nike, Tennis Warehouse, Har-Tru and Head/Penn, which “have stepped up for the first time” to advertise on the French Open. Head/Penn will sponsor features in which analysts John McEnroe and Martina Navratilova select the “Extreme Shots” of the day. Head makes the Extreme racquet. “Maria’s Powershots of Paris” features images of Canon and endorser Maria Sharapova as well as a Canon billboard and new creative (MULTICHANNEL NEWS, 5/21 issue).

WOLF BLASS: SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL’s Daniel Kaplan reports Australia-based winery Wolf Blass has signed a two-year deal to sponsor four of the ten U.S. Open Series stops. Terms were not disclosed. The wine will be featured and served at the Pilot Pen in Connecticut Legg Mason Tennis Classic in DC, the JPMorgan Chase Open in L.A., and the Western & Southern Financial Group Masters in Cincinnati (SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 5/21 issue).

ELITE RACING: San Diego-based Elite Racing, which produces marathons combined with concerts, has signed sponsorship deals for its series of races with New Balance, Saturn, Sugoi, Crocs, Oakley, PowerBar Gel, Accelerade and Soyjoy. The brands join returning marketers including Avis, Foot Locker, Southwest Airlines, Garmin and Spenco Medical (BRANDWEEK, 5/21 issue).