Statoil to become new title sponsor for the Masters Tennis

Added on: May 22, 2012

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
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STATOIL MASTERS TENNIS
The Royal Albert Hall, London
5-9 December, 2012

Wednesday 23 May, 2012

IMG ANNOUNCES THREE-YEAR DEAL AS STATOIL BECOME TITLE SPONSORS OF THE MASTERS TENNIS AT THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL

IMG, the global sports, fashion and media company, has signed up energy company Statoil to be the title sponsor of the hugely popular Masters Tennis event at the Royal Albert Hall for the next three years.

The event, which has featured an array of Wimbledon champions including Bjorn Borg, John McEnroe and Pete Sampras every December since 1997, will now be known as the Statoil Masters Tennis until at least 2014.

Charlie Grave, Managing Director, Sponsorship at IMG, said: “We are delighted to welcome Statoil as our new title sponsor. For the past 15 years, the Masters Tennis at the Royal Albert Hall has brought together much-loved champions to compete and entertain sell-out crowds in one of the most unique and iconic tennis arenas in the world.

“In Statoil, we have a passionate title sponsor that will invest in the event, and help the tournament go from strength-to-strength.”

Statoil, a Norway-based company which is present in more than 30 countries around the world, is making its first venture into sport in the UK to sponsor the Statoil Masters Tennis.

John Knight, Statoil’s Executive Vice President, Global Strategy and Business Development, said: “We are delighted to have the opportunity to sponsor this very popular tennis tournament. Our company supplies energy to UK homes and work places from many different sources including wind power, natural gas and oil. We are, in fact, one of the most significant importers of natural gas to the UK and we and our partner company Statkraft have recently invested more than £1 billion in the Sheringham Shoal wind power project in Norfolk. Our sponsorship of the Statoil Masters Tennis gives an opportunity for people in the UK to get to know us better and for us to make a broader contribution to UK society.”

The Statoil Masters Tennis will take place between Wednesday 5th and Sunday 9th December when Tim Henman will defend the title he won for the first time last year.

Henman said: “All successful events need the support of good sponsors so it is great news that Statoil has come on board to title-sponsor the tournament. The Statoil Maters Tennis is a special event and the Royal Albert Hall is an incredible arena for tennis. It is a pleasure for us to play there in front of packed crowds every year.”

The Statoil Masters Tennis is part of the ATP Champions Tour – a circuit of former World Number One tennis players, Grand Slam singles finalists and Davis Cup winners.

Tickets for the Statoil Masters Tennis can now be purchased by calling the box office: +44 (0) 20 7070 4404, or by visiting the tournament’s official website: www.statoilmasterstennis.com

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Notes to Editors:

- The tournament first took place in 1997. It was headlined by John McEnroe’s first meeting with Bjorn Borg in London since their 1981 Wimbledon final. McEnroe won the match, and also the first three editions of the tournament between ’97 and 1999. He also won the tournament in 2003.

- In 2008, seven-time Wimbledon champion Pete Sampras made his first appearance at the event, and his first visit to London since Wimbledon in 2002. At the Royal Albert Hall, he lost to the eventual champion Cedric Pioline in the semi-finals. Pioline went on to beat Greg Rusedski in a thrilling final.

- Last year, Tim Henman defeated Thomas Enqvist in the final, and John McEnroe won a special older age-group category – The legends.

About Statoil (UK) Ltd
Statoil is an international energy company with operations in 36 countries. Building on 40 years of experience from oil and gas production on the Norwegian continental shelf, Statoil is committed to accommodating the world’s energy needs in a responsible manner, applying technology and creating innovative business solutions. Statoil is headquartered in Norway with 21,000 employees worldwide, and is listed on the New York and Oslo stock exchanges. More information on www.statoil.com

About IMG
IMG Worldwide is a global sports, entertainment and media business, with nearly 3,000 employees operating in 30 countries around the globe. IMG’s areas of expertise are diverse and wide ranging: IMG College; IMG’s Joint Ventures in China, Brazil and India; IMG Media; IMG Events and Federations; IMG Fashion; IMG Models; IMG Art+Commerce; IMG Clients; IMG Academies; IMG Consulting and IMG Licensing. More information is available at www.imgworld.com.

Media Contacts

David Law, Media Director, Statoil Masters Tennis – Tel: +44 (0) 7764 186090; E-mail: david@lawsports.net

Clemmie Dodwell, Marketing & Sponsorship Manager, IMG Tennis – Tel: +44 (0) 7515 31185; E-mail: clemmie.dodwell@imgworld.com

Bård Glad Pedersen, Media Relations Manager, Statoil +47 918 01 791

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