DUBAI-BASED AIRLINE Emirates has signed a five-year deal to be an Official Partner of the French Open tennis tournament at Roland Garros.
Under the deal, which runs from 2013 to 2017, Emirates branding will appear on the main court, Court Philippe Chatrier, as well as having panels on competition courts.
Emirates will also have a private lounge for guests at the Roland Garros village, boxes along the courts, and a dedicated area to welcome guests.
Although financial terms of the agreement were not revealed, French media sources are reporting it to be worth in excess of €3 million per year.
“The arrival of Emirates fits into our development and partnership strategy, which aims to strengthen the brand of Roland Garros globally,” said Jean Gachassin, president of the Fédération Française de Tennis.
Tim Clark, president of Emirates, added: “The tournament at Roland Garros, which takes its name from one of the French pioneers of aviation, is a natural extension of our current portfolio of sponsorship in tennis.
“Followed by millions of fans worldwide, this prestigious clay tournament is an ideal platform for our brand.”
Within tennis, Emirates also sponsors the ATP World Tour and the US Open.
A detailed analysis of Roland Garros’ sponsorship agreements will be available in the next edition of the Sports Marketing Frontiers newsletter, to be delivered to subscribers on May 1.
By Robin Jellis
Follow Robin on Twitter: @robinjellis