Sony Ericsson and the WTA Tour have agreed a two-year extension to their existing tennis partnership, which means that Sony Ericsson will be the WTA Tour's lead global sponsor until the end of 2012. They've been working together for the last five years.
However, Sony Ericsson's new deal appears to be smaller than previous arrangements. The tour, currently known as the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour, will revert to its original name of simply 'WTA Tour' later this year. As well as this, Sony Ericsson will no longer name the Tour’s year-end championships from 2010.
The Sony Ericsson WTA Tour involves more than 2,225 female players from 91 nations competing for more than $86 million in prize money at 53 events and four Grand Slams in 33 countries.
Stacey Allaster, Chairman and CEO of the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour, said "Sony Ericsson has been an incredible partner for the last five years and this extension is both a real sign of strength and stability, and a testament to the investment value delivered by our players and tournaments. We are very pleased that Sony Ericsson will remain our partner and we look forward to continuing to deliver to fans and taking women’s tennis and Sony Ericsson to new heights through our joint vision for the future of the sport."