THE AUSTRALIAN OPEN has secured Kia Motors as its major sponsor for a further five years after Tennis Australia announced the long-term renewal this week.
Kia’s current contract with the tennis season’s first grand slam was set to expire after the 2013 tournament, which gets underway in Melbourne on Monday.
The five-year renewal means the Korean car manufacturer will become the longest-running major sponsor of the event in its 108-year history after succeeding Ford as major sponsor in 2002.
According to an official Kia press release, the sponsorship rights of the renewed agreement will remain largely the same, but a host of new marketing programmes will be introduced by the brand over the course of the contract.
Other sponsors of the Australian Open include ANZ, Rolex and Jacob’s Creek as associate sponsors (tier 2) and a further 13 official partners (tier 3) and official sponsors (tier 4).
In 2002, the Australian Open became Kia Motors’ first major international sports sponsorship. Today, the brand has a number of high-profile partnerships in its portfolio, including Rafael Nadal as a global brand ambassador.
Away from tennis, Kia is a global partner of world football governing body FIFA until 2022, is the principal partner of Surrey County Cricket Club (including naming rights to the Kia Oval) and is the official automotive partner of the LPGA Tour and the National Basketball Association (NBA), as well as a sponsor of 14 NBA franchises.
By Luke Harman
Follow Luke on Twitter: @lukeharmanSBG