The Laver Cup’s sponsorship strategy: Cohesion over collection

When curating a sponsorship portfolio, thinking only in terms of breadth and brand weight can overpower the clarity of the intended message. The 2025 Laver Cup, due to be held in September, presents a compelling example of how to build a portfolio that feels intentional rather than blindly opportunistic. With a mix of long-term partners and carefully selected new entrants, the Laver Cup’s sponsorship strategy offers useful insights for both sponsorship managers curating a portfolio and for brands looking to embed meaningfully within one.

Curating with intention

The Laver Cup’s sponsorship strategy is notable for what it doesn’t do. There’s no obvious overreach, no attempt to cram every sector in for coverage. Instead, the sponsorship team has curated a portfolio that reflects both its positioning and the event itself, wherein elite players from Europe face elite players from the rest of the world. The collection of sponsors is global, premium, and experience-driven. 

Rolex, Mercedes-Benz, and UBS have renewed long-term partnerships, offering continuity and signalling shared brand values. The newer additions (Alipay+, Perplexity AI, Genesys, Flexjet, BOSS, and DAOU Vineyards) introduce complementary sectors, but don’t dilute the event’s identity. Each serves a specific strategic function: expanding digital engagement, enhancing hospitality, or reinforcing lifestyle elements. This isn’t filling out or making up the numbers, it’s narrative unity.

Sponsorship managers can take note of how the Laver Cup has evolved from relying on Roger Federer’s inevitable influence to standing as a distinct and attractive event. That transition has involved careful stewardship of its commercial identity, ensuring new partners serve the long game rather than just the next edition.

To read more about selective curation, click here.

Fitting into, not on top of, a portfolio

Equally important is how brands enter this environment. Laver Cup sponsors are not merely present: they’re integrated. This is a notable distinction. BOSS doesn’t just supply clothing; it helps shape the visual language of the teams, separated by red (Team World) and blue (Team Europe) outfits. Alipay+ is aligned to digital expansion goals, not just brand visibility. Perplexity’s positioning around fan insight and AI-driven engagement connects to a broader interest in how spectators interact with sport.

That said, this level of integration only works if the sponsor understands the tone of the event and is willing to adapt. When it comes to practically integrated sponsorships, the goal goes beyond exposure and towards both relevance and performance. The strongest activations will be those that complement the event’s rhythm rather than disrupt it.

To read more about active, embedded sponsorship, click here.

Five takeaways for sponsorship managers and sponsors

• Curate with purpose: Building a sponsorship portfolio is as much about what you exclude as what you include. The Laver Cup avoids clutter, and that pays dividends in clarity.
• Look beyond categories: A fintech isn’t automatically a good fit just because no one else is in that space. Strategic alignment matters more than category exclusivity.
• Activation matters: A well-selected partner still needs thoughtful execution. Hospitality, on-site experience, digital integration: these are where sponsorships earn their value.
• Global is not one-size-fits-all: Alipay+’s role reflects regional priorities. Global events still require market-specific thinking.
• Reputation is built, not bought: The Laver Cup has transitioned from star-led launch to a credible, standalone platform. Sponsors seeking long-term value need to match that evolution in their own engagement.

Final thoughts

The Laver Cup's sponsorship strategy shows that a portfolio can be diverse without being fragmented. The event’s commercial model is neither hyper-exclusive nor wide-open: it’s selective, as thoughtful curations will always be. That’s what makes it coherent. For rights-holders, the lesson is about editorial discipline. For sponsors, it’s about asking not just where to show up, but how.

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