Tennis Australia Names Coopers Official Beer, Cider Partner Of Australian Open

Tennis Australia named Coopers the official beer and cider partner of the Australian Open, starting in '17. Australia's largest family-owned brewery will also support Australian Open Series events Brisbane Int'l, Int'l Sydney, Hobart Int'l and World Tennis Challenge (Adelaide) from this summer, as well as Hopman Cup (Perth) from '18. Next year's Australian Open will get under way at Melbourne Park on Jan. 16 (Tennis Australia). In Adelaide, Renato Castello reported the deal means that from next year, "only Coopers beer will be poured at Melbourne Park during the two weeks of the Open." The deal also includes pourage rights for "all other sporting and entertainment events at Melbourne Park and extends to Australian Open lead-in events around Australia." The value of the contract has not been disclosed, but Coopers National Sales & Marketing Dir Cam Pearce said that it was "one of the biggest sporting agreements the company had signed" (THE ADVERTISER, 8/10).