The Women’s Tennis Association has revealed a multi-year collaboration with Mercedes-Benz, which possesses the potential to be the most extensive in female sports.
The automotive company from Germany will serve as the primary sponsor for the WTA, investing an annual sum of $50 million (£37.5 million) into women’s tennis for a duration of up to a decade.
This agreement is being hailed as the “most monumental” in the entire existence of the WTA, potentially reaching a total valuation of $500 million (£375 million).
For comparison, the National Women’s Soccer League in the United States secured a media rights contract worth $240 million (£180 million) over four years in November 2023, and Nike has committed $350 million (£262 million) to various women’s football leagues.
Revealed on Wednesday, this WTA arrangement is designed to support the tour’s dedication to achieving parity in prize money at tournaments featuring both male and female players by 2027, and at women-only events by 2033.
Attaining equal prize money was among the core objectives when the WTA was established in 1973.
Legendary American tennis player Billie Jean King, the founder and inaugural president of the WTA, stated that this agreement demonstrates the tour’s ongoing role as a pioneer in women’s athletics.
“Females are leaving their imprint presently, and this is merely the commencement,” she conveyed to BBC Sport.
“Parity in prize money holds immense significance and conveys an exceptionally powerful message.”
“Could you envision what it’s like for a child nowadays, observing the multitude of various prospects?”
