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- Deal covers exclusivity in water, energy drink and soft drink categories
- Coca-Cola joined by Galaxy Entertainment Group and LD Sports as partner of this month’s WTT Macao
Beverage giant Coca-Cola has been unveiled as the first partner of World Table Tennis (WTT), the International Table Tennis Federation’s (ITTF) new commercial vehicle.
WTT includes a revamped competition structure, including four marquee Grand Smashes, which will feature alongside the year-round WTT Series, WTT Champions Series, WTT Contender Series and season-ending WTT Cup Finals.
Coca-Cola will be the official beverage partner of WTT events in China, which is hosting the first Grand Smash in 2021. The Atlanta-headquartered company’s deal, which also includes this month’s WTT Macao, a promotional showcase event, covers exclusivity across the categories of water, energy drinks and soft drinks.
Coca-Cola is one of three partners on board for WTT Macao, which is taking place from 25th to 29th November and includes a total prize pool of US$800,000.
Resorts and hospitality firm Galaxy Entertainment Group will be the presenting partner of the event, while LD Sports, the marketing and entertainment platform that recently ended its sponsorship of English soccer club Southampton, will be the global premier partner of the competition.
“These partnerships with global brands Coca-Cola, Galaxy Entertainment Group and LD Sports underline the significant plans that we have for our sport,” said ITTF chief executive and WTT director Steve Dainton. “WTT Macao will be a show like no other and a bold statement of our intentions to take table tennis to the next level.”
As well as a new event structure, WTT will include an exclusive women’s tour, more than double prize money, enhanced TV production and digital storytelling.
WTT was launched after the ITTF opted against awarding all its rights to an agency for the next cycle, choosing instead to implement a hybrid model that will see the global governing body market those rights alongside IMG from 2021 onwards.
Speaking during October’s SportsPro Asia virtual summit, Dainton said having greater oversight over its commercial rights would enable the ITFF to introduce greater broadcast consistency, integrate innovative data visualisations, and deliver more in-depth insights to viewers.
“You really need to have a good management and a holistic view over all the rights and the commercial business that you’re dealing with,” he said. “We’ve made that a very important part of how we’ll manage our business at World Table Tennis, and I think that’s key.”
