The Australian Open will join forces with Livewire to support the AO Summer Smash featuring Fortnite, a global competitive Fortnite event run during the tournament’s final week.
The AO Summer Smash is a core part of the AO’s innovation strategy, which aims to diversify the event’s audience and reach, and 2024 will be the sixth consecutive year the AO has produced Fortnite tournaments.
Livewire, a global gaming tech company, has an expansive background connecting some of the world’s biggest brands into the gaming ecosystem.
“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,” Machar Reid, Tennis Australia’s Head of Innovation said.
“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.
The relationship between the AO and Livewire aims to drive authentic partnerships that align with the AO’s focus on innovation and diverse entertainment.
“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,” said Adam Fischer, Head of Commercial, ANZ, for Livewire.
“Livewire is excited to work with Tennis Australia, igniting the AO Summer Smash featuring Fortnite experience and connecting brands with gaming audiences.”
Developed by Epic Games, Fortnite is a hugely popular, online global platform with more than 500 million registered accounts worldwide. In Fortnite, players can create their own experiences, play action-packed Zero Build, or squad up in the iconic player vs. player Battle Royale. Australia is a key country for Fortnite and is home to a number of the top ranked players and creators.
More details on the 2024 AO Summer Smash featuring Fortnite will be revealed in the coming months.
Companies wanting to collaborate with the AO Summer Smash featuring Fortnite should contact Nick Sloman at Tennis Australia or Adam Fischer at Livewire.
Australian Open 2024, supported by major partner Kia in association with Emirates, Luzhou Laojiao and Rolex, will take place at Melbourne Park from 15-28 January 2024. Tickets on sale later this year via Ticketmaster.