Australian Open finds gaming partner for 2024 Summer Smash event
The Australian Open (AO) has announced it will partner with global gaming tech company Livewire to support the AO Summer Smash Featuring Fortnite, a global competitive Fortnite event run during the tournament’s finals week.
The event is a core part of the AO’s innovation strategy, and in 2024 it will be its sixth consecutive year.
2023’s AO Summer Smash Featuring Fortnite winner, YouTube gaming content creator Loserfruit
The AO’s innovation strategy aims to diversify the event’s audience and reach, and Livewire will work to connect some of the world’s biggest brands into the gaming ecosystem to drive this strategy.
Machar Reid, Tennis Australia’s head of innovation, said: “The AO Summer Smash Featuring Fortnite is a huge part of our organisation’s innovation strategy, allowing us to connect with new fans, and helping us to promote the event in the digital and gaming sphere, beyond the traditional sporting realm.
“We are really excited to be partnering with Livewire, who have extensive experience connecting brands with the gaming and tech industry, which will help to amplify our event further and support our overall strategy,” Reid continued.
Livewire’s head of commercial ANZ, Adam Fischer, added: “We’re continuing to see the world of sports, gaming and entertainment converge. Gaming is intertwined with culture and is captivating sports fans worldwide.
“Enter Fortnite, a cultural phenomenon combined with the prestige of one of the greatest sports tournaments in the southern hemisphere, The Australian Open,” he continued.
“Livewire is excited to work with Tennis Australia, igniting the AO Summer Smash Featuring Fortnite experience and connecting brands with gaming audiences.”
The AO said details on the event will be revealed in the coming months.
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Lauren McNamara is a reporter at Mumbrella. She joined in November 2022 as editorial assistant, having completed a Bachelor of Communications (Journalism) at the University of Technology, Sydney.
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