The WTA Connecticut Open generated about $2.5M from 75 sponsors this year GETTY IMAGES
WTA Connecticut Open Tournament Dir Anne Worcester said that the event is "actively seeking a title sponsor as it attempts to survive under financial duress," according to a front-page piece by Paul Doyle of the NEW HAVEN REGISTER. The tourney is "considering a series of options," among them the "sale of the Premier Sanction" within the WTA tourney structure. The state’s contribution to the event "dropped to $218,000 this year and the tournament is expected to be self-sustaining" in '20. But the tourney, which "operates as a nonprofit, has struggled to boost revenue." The staff was "cut over the past week." Other options include "shifting the tournament" to a different summer date on the WTA calendar, which "could enable New Haven to attract a more attractive field." The event could also "drop to a lower-level tournament with a smaller prize purse." But the "clearest path to survival requires a title sponsor." The tourney was sponsored by Pilot Pen from '98-'10. Worcester said the financial model "doesn't work without a title sponsor." Doyle notes the event is "working with a consultant in its search for a sponsor." Worcester estimated that six to eight corporations are "considering the tournament and described the companies as 'some pretty big names that target women.'” Ticket sales provide "about $750,000 in revenue" and the tournament generated about $2.5M from 75 sponsors this year (NEW HAVEN REGISTER, 10/10).
