Mercedes-Benz Drives WTA to New Commercial Heights with Landmark Partnership
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The Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) is celebrating a commercial milestone after naming Mercedes-Benz as its new premier partner, which has usurped title sponsor as the top-tier designation on the tour.
The long-term partnership will officially begin in January and has been described as the most meaningful in the history of the WTA, which has been undergoing a commercial transformation in recent years since the formation of the WTA Ventures business arm.
Speaking to SportsPro, Marina Storti, the chief executive of WTA Ventures, which agreed the deal with the German luxury carmaker, confirms that this is the organisation’s largest sponsorship since being formed in 1973.
According to the BBC, Mercedes will pay US$50 million annually for up to ten years, meaning the agreement could be worth US$500 million in total. That makes it significantly more lucrative than the tour’s previous title sponsor deal with medical device and diagnostics company Hologic, whose contract was worth US$18 million to US$20 million per year, according to the Hard Court newsletter.
Citing the confidentiality of the agreement, Storti declines to comment on the precise financial terms of the deal, but says it puts WTA Ventures “firmly on track” to achieve its target of trebling the tour’s revenue by 2029.
“We feel it’s a milestone moment for the WTA to have this incredible commitment that they (Mercedes) are making to the sport, but also to be able to partner with a brand that is one of the most admired brands in the world,” Storti says. “It’s really testament to the growth of women’s tennis as a commercial property, and also the work that we have done on transforming the WTA brand.”
Why did the WTA move away from a title sponsorship model?
WTA ventures introduced the new premier partner package in December last year before taking the asset to market in partnership with the Wasserman agency in April – though IMG also played a role in brokering the deal with Mercedes.
While Mercedes’ deal does not include naming rights or the same title sponsor designation as Hologic, it does ensure that the circuit will be marketed as the ‘WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz’ from the beginning of next year.
Storti points out that the sponsorship package also includes many of the same assets that were a
Mercedes-Benz Drives WTA Partnership with premier Sponsorship
Mercedes-Benz expands its tennis portfolio with a new partnership with Coco Gauff, building on previous sponsorships of the US Open and the ATP Finals. The company also maintains significant deals in golf, including partnerships with The Masters and The Open.
According to WTA Ventures’ Head of Global Partnerships, Laura Storti, several factors attracted Mercedes-Benz to the WTA.
“The WTA’s global reach aligns well with Mercedes-benz‘s international business, notably in key tennis markets,” Storti explains. “Mercedes-Benz valued the premier partner asset, recognizing it as a top-tier opportunity in tennis.”
“Furthermore, Mercedes-Benz embraced the WTA’s commitment to empowering women and championing female athletes, creating strong synergy between our organizations.”
Is there room for further growth?
WTA Ventures aims to triple the tour’s income by 2029 and reported a 24 per cent revenue increase as its formation in 2023.
Storti confirms that sponsorship plays “a big part” in this growth and believes the Mercedes-Benz partnership positions the WTA “firmly on track” to meet its financial objectives. This year, Gillette Venus also joined as a global sponsor.
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