Sponsorship in Tennis: 4 Methods for Securing Top Partnerships
Did you know? Most successful professional athletes primarily make their living from sponsorship deals, rather than through championship wins. One sport where sponsorship plays a particularly large role is tennis. For example, tennis star Roger Federer has a ten-year, $300 million sponsorship deal with Japanese apparel brand Uniqlo— outshining his $130 million total career prize money winnings.
For both individual players and tournament events, sponsorships (or partnerships) provide financial support and increased visibility. And not just for major tournaments like Wimbeldon or the US Open. Smaller, local tournaments and lesser-known players also rely on sponsorship deals to keep the sport moving forward.
Learn how to maximize your potential with tennis sponsorship deals by implementing the top four tips below.
Types of Sponsorships in Tennis
Sponsorship in tennis is customizable— not one-size-fits-all. Sponsorships can be secured for individual players and for tournaments at large. There are also different kinds of sponsorships that involve more than just monetary support.
Player
Player sponsorships typically start early in a player’s career. Apparel and racket brands will often partner with young players before they “hit it big.” One of the perks of sponsoring a player early in their career is solidifying the “right to match.” When a player turns 18 or 19 and is in the last year of their sponsorship deal, the existing sponsor has the right to match any new 3rd party offer that comes in.
Tournament
Hosting a tennis tournament, whether it’s a local or regional tournament or a major tournament like Wimbledon, requires a lot of financial resources. Tennis tournaments can secure sponsors to fund the event or provide other helpful resources in exchange for visibility.
Financial
Financial sponsorships are the most common type of sponsorship. This involves the sponsor providing funding to the player or tournament in exchange for publicity and exposure.
In-Kind
Instead of money, an in-kind sponsorship involves the sponsor donating goods (apparel & equipment are popular in tennis), services, or even expertise in exchange for exposure. In-kind goods can be any product or service that’s agreed upon.
Media & Promotion
Media and promotion sponsorships are similar. Media sponsorships provide support for promoting an event or tournament by providing free advertising services in exchange for exposure. A promotional partner boosts your event through their own channels.
4 Tips for Securing Tennis Sponsorships
Are you a tennis player or tournament host looking to secure more & better sponsorships? Follow these four modern tips to help bring deals across the finish line.
1) Finesse Your Unique Selling Proposition
There are hundreds of tennis players and events to sponsor each year, so you need to stand out from the crowd. To better understand your unique selling proposition, ask yourself “why would a brand want to sponsor me?”
Sponsorship is ultimately a business deal for both parties. You both want to grow your business (or career), so what do you have to offer as a player or a tournament that can help potential sponsors reach their goals? Think about your audience demographics and attributes in order to strategize which brands align strongest to your following.
2) Customize Your Sponsorship Package
Whether you’re an up-and-coming player or tournament or one that’s already well-established, you’ll need to perfect your pitch to sponsors. Combine your unique selling proposition with a core sponsorship package into an overall proposal.
Your proposal should include:
- An overview of your tournament or your individual career and why it makes sense for that specific brand to sponsor you. This should include stats, analytics, promotion tactics, and how many people are anticipated to attend.
- Benefits of a sponsorship partnership, including discounts, signage, advertising, marketing, mailing lists, and more.
3) Show the Impact of a Partnership
Instead of simply telling potential sponsors what they can expect when they sponsor your career or tournament, show them. In your formal proposal, include images and videos of where their sponsorship would be displayed.
For individual players, showing social media accounts and follower amounts also help support this effort.
To accomplish this in your sponsorship proposal, you can refine your Photoshop skills or leverage a sponsorship pitch deck like DIGIDECK that comes with “hotspot technology” which automatically superimposes your prospect’s logo on appropriate activations in just a few clicks.
4) Use Analytics for Tailored Follow-Ups
A key tactic for bringing a new tennis sponsorship deal across the finish line is to utilize data and analytics. Instead of wondering where a prospect is sitting in the proposal process, gain valuable insights with a platform like DIGIDECK.
With DIGIDECK, leaders in the Tennis space are able to see exactly how a prospective sponsor engages with each proposal thanks to analytics that showcase:
- Who viewed the presentation
- When they viewed it
- How long they viewed each slide
These analytics help you better follow-up with your prospective sponsor and answer specific questions they may have. No more wondering if they ever even opened your proposal in the first place!
Support Tennis Sponsorship Efforts With DIGIDECK
Whether you’re an individual tennis player or a tournament on the local, regional, national, or international level, you know how important sponsorship is to your success. Leverage these tips to get the most out of your tennis sponsorship pitches.
Want to join top tennis brands like the ATP Tour, the United States Tennis Association (USTA), and more to elevate your sponsorship proposals with interactive multimedia, trackable analytics, and time-saving automations? Schedule a free DIGIDECK demo today!
