Qantas Frequent Flyer and Uber have been announced as major partners for this year’s Australian Open (AO) coverage on Nine.
The two sponsors join a lineup of prominent Australian brands such as APT Luxury Travel, Bunnings Warehouse, Bupa, Chemist Warehouse, Domain, Chubb Insurance, Google, Kia, Peters Ice Cream, Stan, McDonalds, and Visit Victoria.
The brands are looking to capitalise on the annual sporting event’s huge popularity, with last year’s Australian Open (AO) on Nine attracting a massive audience, with over 11.7 million Total TV viewers.
See also: TV Guide: Australian Open on Nine and 9Now
The brands join Tennis Australia’s official partner brands, Ralph Lauren, Aperol, LifeSpace, and Mastercard and will showcase on-ground Melbourne Park activations through Nine’s customised Extender level.
For the first time, Google has joined the Summer of Tennis, introducing their Google Pixel 8 Pro.
Visit Victoria will present a new edition of Andy Lee’s The Hundred at The AO, while Nine’s on-ground studio, Court 9, relocates to a prime location between Rod Laver and Grand Slam oval, placing Nine at the heart of Melbourne Park.
With platforms like special editions of Tennis in Good Weekend magazine, 9Podcasts, content on WWOS.com.au, and brand integration throughout broadcasts, partners will have access to Nine’s ecosystem, reaching 20 million signed-in users.
Matt Granger, Nine’s director of sales – sport, Olympic and Paralympic Games, expressed his anticipation for Nine’s “biggest year of sport”, stating, “Nine’s Summer of Tennis engages with millions of Australians, culminating in the pinnacle and world’s best grand slam, the Australian Open.
“Starting for the first time on a Sunday, the AO continues to provide brands the ultimate launch platform to start their year and environment to engage with fans.”
Anne Gruber, Nine’s director of content partnerships – sport, Olympic and Paralympic Games, anticipates “an intrigue-loaded event for Aussie audiences and brand partners.”
“If history tells us anything, it’s that there’s always another outstanding generation to redefine the game, delivering an even more exciting competition to watch, with a dynamic mix of creative, young players challenging the status quo. That generation is here and they are dominating now.”