The strong relationship between Roland-Garros and BNP Paribas continues to evolve. The Fédération Française de Tennis and BNP Paribas are delighted to announce the renewal of their historic and exceptionally long-lasting partnership for a further five years.
BNP Paribas thus remains the official and principal sponsor of the French Open, a sponsorship that commenced in 1973, a date which also marked the beginning of the Group’s special relationship with the world of tennis.
Having evolved over the years into the leading tennis sponsor worldwide, the "bank for a changing world" remains faithful to Roland-Garros, as underlined by this renewed commitment, and with a relentless determination to innovate and to share its passion for tennis with as many people as possible.
BNP Paribas will support the tournament through a period of significant growth including the transformation brought about by the modernisation of the stadium, by different digital projects and by international activations which will be at the core of the partnership. Such projects will also contribute to the improvement of BNP Paribas’ client experience and will reinforce links with the WeAreTennis community, which today brings together close to 1.7 million tennis fans throughout the world.
"We are particularly pleased to renew our partnership with BNP Paribas, whose loyalty towards our event is an impressive sign of the Group's confidence in us. In the world of sports sponsorships, the duration of this partnership is almost unparalleled: Roland-Garros and BNP Paribas will be celebrating 44 years of mutual cooperation at the 2017 event," explains Jean Gachassin, Président de la Fédération Française de Tennis. "The long duration of this association is based on strong shared values reflecting a mutual passion for tennis. Through this new agreement, BNP Paribas reaffirms its support for the event at a turning point in its development, with the New Roland-Garros project for 2020."
"Roland Garros has earned its status as one of the greatest sports events worldwide. Since 1973, we have been proud to contribute to this impressive success story. Today, the event is on the threshold of an ambitious transformation that will form the basis of the next chapter in its history," said Jean-Laurent Bonnafé, Chief Executive Officer of BNP Paribas. "The project for the new stadium, coupled with its digital revolution, should allow the tournament to maintain its status as one of the most prestigious tennis competitions in the world and to continue to enhance the popularity of the city of Paris, France, and French tennis. We are also very supportive of tennis on a regional level, where we promote tennis and encourage everyone to play it, and we are striving to strengthen our commitment."
BNP Paribas is a leading bank in Europe with an international reach. It has a presence in 74 countries, with more than 190,000 employees, including more than 146,000 in Europe. The Group has key positions in its three main activities: Domestic Markets and International Financial Services (whose retail-banking networks and financial services are covered by Retail Banking & Services) and Corporate & Institutional Banking, which serves two client franchises: corporate clients and institutional investors. The Group helps all its clients (individuals, community associations, entrepreneurs, SMEs, corporates and institutional clients) to realise their projects through solutions spanning financing, investment, savings and protection insurance. In Europe, the Group has four domestic markets (Belgium, France, Italy and Luxembourg) and BNP Paribas Personal Finance is the leader in consumer lending. BNP Paribas is rolling out its integrated retail-banking model in Mediterranean countries, in Turkey, in Eastern Europe and a large network in the western part of the United States. In its Corporate & Institutional Banking and International Financial Services activities, BNP Paribas also enjoys top positions in Europe, a strong presence in the Americas as well as a solid and fast-growing business in Asia-Pacific.
About Roland-Garros
Both committed sports fans and the general public alike have come to love Roland-Garros. Some 455 621 spectators flocked to the highly prestigious French Open in 2016, and the tournament was also broadcast on over 220 territories across the world, making it an event of truly global significance. Roland-Garros is run by the French Tennis Federation and held every year at the Porte d'Auteuil in Paris. It is the only Grand Slam to be played on clay – one of the oldest and most noble surfaces in the history of tennis.