Tennis player Victoria Azarenka has "agreed to a two-year endorsement deal with Esurance, a pact that gives the car insurance brand another connection in tennis," according to Daniel Kaplan of SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL. Azarenka joins doubles players Bob and Mike Bryan "as endorsers of the company." The Bryans, who have endorsed Esurance since '11, are "adding one more year to their contract," taking them through '15. Social media is "a key component" of Azarenka's deal, which is valued in the "low seven figures." Esurance Senior Manager of Brand Partnerships Chris Lee said of Azarenka, "What we lean on with Vika is her social media presence. With her having combined (more than) 1.5 million followers, we can promote what we are doing in tennis." Azarenka is "required to mention Esurance through her social media accounts, though the company declined to specify the frequency called for in the contract." She will also "make appearances on behalf of the company and appear in advertising." Esurance is "still deciding whether to tap her for a TV ad, as it did last year with the Bryan brothers" for a spot that "ran on ESPN and CBS during the U.S. Open." Esurance CEO Gary Tolman said that he "wanted a female endorser to add diversity to the company’s marketing" (SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 3/17 issue).
NO MORE PARTY TO ROCK: In Las Vegas, Steve Carp reports the USTA Women's Pro Circuit Party Rock Open will not return to the city this fall "after failing to renew the sponsorship" with rapper Redfoo. Event promoter Jordan Butler said, "Mostly, it was a financial decision. We needed to raise more sponsorships and get more people in the stands. ... Redfoo said he wanted to stay involved, but he didn't want to make a financial commitment. So losing him was big. And when we couldn't find another title sponsor, we decided not to play" (LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL, 3/19). Redfoo has been dating Azarenka since '12 (THE DAILY).
