Sony Mobile Communications renames the Sony Ericsson Open tennis tournament
Miami, Fla., March 31, 2012- 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(TM)
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.
- ENDS -
*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.
FOR MEDIA INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:
Ivette Lopez
Global PR and Communications
+1 404 443 5137
For more information, images and videos please visit:
pressreleases.sonymobile.com
Sony Mobile Communications, Global Communications & PR department
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(TM) 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.
Press Release:
http://hugin.info/133603/R/1598595/504136.pdf
Sony Open_Tennis image:
http://hugin.info/133603/R/1598595/504345.jpg
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Source: Sony Mobile Communications via Thomson Reuters ONE
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