IBM renews sponsorship of US Open

21 July 2009 | Posted in Sponsorship, Tennis, Top Story | By Adam Fraser

IBM will invest US$20 million in its sponsorship of the US Open tennis championship for the next four years.

The company, which also sponsors the other three Grand Slams - Wimbledon, the French Open and the Australian Open - has backed the US Open for nearly two decades, having first partnered with it in 1992.

As part of its involvement, IBM manages the US Open website and the scoring system. The breakdown of the various sectors of its involvement is not entirely clear, but, according to SportsBusiness Journal, the US$20 million will be spent 'in rights fees, advertising and back-office infrastructure'.

"It is a difficult economy out there and we know people are cutting back, and to have a partner like IBM renew, that bodes well for us," said Pierce O'Neil, chief business officer of the US Tennis Association.

Last year's US Open saw Roger Federer beat Andy Murray in the final. This year will see Federer defend his crown against a field including the returning Rafael Nadal, who missed Wimbledon with a knee injury and saw Federer take his position as world number one.