The Sony Open for Tennis Arrives in Miami.
Sony Mobile Communications renames the Sony Ericsson Open tennis tournament
Miami, Fla.,– Sony Mobile Communications today announced it is changing the name of the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami to Sony Open (Tennis), starting in 2013. The name reflects the company’s new brand and name after Sony Ericsson became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sony in February of this year.
“The Sony Open tennis tournament enables us to introduce Sony’s Xperia™ smartphones to a broad and influential consumer audience in the areas of sports and entertainment,” said Stephan Croix, VP, Head of Marketing Creation at Sony Mobile Communications. “The tournament is a perfect platform to bring the excitement of Sony’s connected entertainment experiences to athletes, fans and consumers and offer them an opportunity to get their hands on the latest Sony products.”
With US$9.6 million dollars in prize money, the Sony Ericsson Open is currently one of the largest tennis tournaments in the world outside of the Grand Slams. It attracts the top men’s and women’s players in the sport, more than 300,000 spectators along with the biggest names in music and entertainment and is broadcasted to more than 42.9 million viewers in 180 countries.
Caroline Wozniacki, WTA top-ranked athlete and Sony Mobile Brand Ambassador commented: “The Sony Ericsson Open is a major tennis competition worldwide that I look forward to each year. It’s uplifting and exciting to see a strong and global entertainment brand like Sony supporting tennis.”
Over the last six years the Sony Ericsson Open has helped change the way tennis is presented to the world using technology and innovation to move the game from the sports pages to the lifestyle and entertainment pages. In addition to creating unique stunts around Miami, the Sony Ericsson Open was the first tournament to use electric line calling and the first outside of the Grand Slams to offer equal prize money to both men and women.
At this year’s tournament, Sony Mobile Communications is showcasing the Xperia ion, Sony’s first LTE smartphone and exclusively available in the US with AT&T this spring. It is also demonstrating the new Xperia NXT series – next generation smartphones from Sony, including the flagship Xperia S and the new additions Xperia P and Xperia U. These new Xperia smartphones combine stand-out design and superior entertainment technology with the powerful performance consumers would expect from a Sony smartphone. The Xperia NXT series also provides access to the Sony Entertainment Network*, giving consumers a comprehensive content and services ecosystem with unrivalled entertainment possibilities and allowing them to share and enjoy content across multiple devices.
*Sony Entertainment Network services are subject to availability by region, please see www.sonyentertainmentnetwork.com for more details.
“Sony” and “Sony Entertainment Network” are registered trademarks or trademarks of Sony Corporation. “Xperia” is a trademark of Sony Mobile Communications. All other trademarks or registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
About Sony Mobile Communications
Sony Mobile Communications is a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony Corporation, a leading global innovator of audio, video, game, communications, key device and information technology products for both the consumer and professional markets. With its music, pictures, computer entertainment and online businesses, Sony is uniquely positioned to be the leading electronics and entertainment company in the world. Through its Xperia™ smartphone portfolio, Sony Mobile Communications delivers the best of Sony technology, premium content and services, and easy connectivity to Sony’s world of networked entertainment experiences. For more information: www.sonymobile.com
About the Sony Ericsson Open
The 2012 Sony Ericsson Open will be played March 19-April 1 at the Tennis Center at Crandon Park in Miami. The two-week combined event, founded by Butch Buchholz in 1985, is owned and operated by IMG. The Sony Ericsson Open is one of nine ATP Masters 1000 Series events on the ATP calendar, a Premier Mandatory event on the WTA calendar, and features the top men’s and women’s tennis players in the world. In 2011 Novak Djokovic defeated Rafael Nadal for his second Sony Ericsson Open title, while Victoria Azarenka knocked off Maria Sharapova to capture her second title in Miami. For ticket information, call (305) 442-3367 or visit the website at www.SonyEricssonOpen.com.