PITTSBURGH and NEW YORK, Dec. 8,
2014 /PRNewswire/ -- World TeamTennis (WTT), the
innovative leader in professional team tennis competition, and
Mylan (Nasdaq: MYL), one of the world's leading pharmaceutical
companies, today announced an extension of their title sponsorship
agreement through 2017.
Mylan will continue to serve as the title sponsor of Mylan World
TeamTennis, extending a partnership that began in 2012. Mylan
WTT is the ground-breaking league co-founded in 1974 by
Billie Jean King that introduced men
and women playing together in professional team tennis competition.
Mylan WTT features some of tennis' biggest names competing in more
than 50 matches annually in seven U.S. markets. The agreement
includes naming and logo rights, broadcast and digital assets,
merchandising, and onsite promotion at Mylan WTT matches.
Mylan CEO Heather Bresch
commented, "We are very excited to continue our relationship with
WTT through 2017 and continue to expand on our organizations'
shared commitment to helping people around the world overcome
barriers to access. At Mylan, we are working every day to set new
standards in health care and provide the world's 7 billion people
access to high quality medicine. WTT, in partnership with Mylan, is
delivering on its mission of ensuring that everyone – regardless of
gender or economic standing—has access to empowerment of team
sports, and we look forward to continuing to bring WTT to new
markets in the coming years."
"Mylan's continued partnership with World TeamTennis is a
testament to the success of the league and our shared vision for
future growth, including on an international scale," said
Ilana Kloss, CEO/Commissioner of
Mylan WTT. "It's a privilege to have a long-term partner who shares
our values of access and opportunity as we begin our
40th season and move forward into the next phase of
expansion of Mylan WTT."
In partnership with WTT, Mylan has established programming
initiatives over the past two years to promote access and highlight
opportunities for youth and community charity partners. In
association with the United States Tennis Association (USTA)
sections in team markets, Mylan PlayDays have introduced thousands
of children to tennis with the opportunity to participate in
clinics with top Mylan WTT pros. In addition, the Mylan Aces
program rewards the team with the most aces each night of the
season, raising funds and awareness for local charities.
Since aligning with Mylan, the league has experienced
exponential growth in television and digital media, with more than
800 hours of domestic and international broadcast programming over
the past three years and international market penetration in more
than 50 countries and 200 million homes through partnerships with
Eurosport, Eurosport Asia and Ten Sports in India. Earlier
this year, Mylan WTT reached a multiyear agreement with ESPN to air
the Mylan WTT finals live on ESPN2 and broadcast more than 40 hours
of programming annually on ESPN3.
The milestone 40th season of Mylan WTT begins
July 12 and concludes with the Mylan
WTT Finals on Aug. 2. The season will be highlighted by a
yearlong marketing and promotional program that includes a series
of special events, kicking off with the Mylan WTT Player Draft on
March 16 in Indian Wells, California.
Mylan also will continue as the title sponsor of Mylan WTT Smash
Hits, the annual charity event co-hosted by King and Sir
Elton John. Mylan's relationship
with WTT started during the 2012 season as an official league
sponsor before becoming title sponsor of the league and Smash Hits
in October 2012.
Mylan is one of the world's leading providers of antiretroviral
medicines used to treat HIV/AIDS and has a long history of taking
an active role in the fight against the disease. In fact,
approximately 40% of those receiving treatment for HIV/AIDS in
developing countries rely on a Mylan product. The 2014 Mylan
WTT Smash Hits, held on Dec. 7 in
London, raised more than
$1 million for the Elton John AIDS
Foundation. This marked the first time in the event's 22-year
history that it was held outside the U.S.
For more information on Mylan WTT, visit www.WTT.com.
About Mylan:
Mylan is a global pharmaceutical company
committed to setting new standards in health care. Working together
around the world to provide 7 billion people access to high quality
medicine, we innovate to satisfy unmet needs; make reliability and
service excellence a habit; do what's right, not what's easy; and
impact the future through passionate global leadership. We offer a
growing portfolio of more than 1,300 generic pharmaceuticals and
several brand medications. In addition, we offer a wide range of
antiretroviral therapies, upon which approximately 40% of HIV/AIDS
patients in developing countries depend. We also operate one of the
largest active pharmaceutical ingredient manufacturers and
currently market products in approximately 140 countries and
territories. Our workforce of more than 20,000 people is dedicated
to improving the customer experience and increasing pharmaceutical
access to consumers around the world. But don't take our word for
it. For more information, visit Mylan.com.
About Mylan World TeamTennis (WTT):
Mylan World
TeamTennis is the innovative leader in professional team tennis
competition and features many of the world's best players competing
annually for the King Trophy, the league's championship trophy
named after co-founder Billie Jean
King. In 2015, Mylan WTT becomes only the fifth major
professional team sports league in the
United States to reach the 40th season mark,
joining an elite list that includes Major League Baseball, the NFL,
the NBA and the NHL. The 2015 regular season is July 12-29 with the Conference Championships set
for Thursday, July 30. The Mylan WTT Finals, which will air
live on ESPN 2, will be contested on the home court of the Eastern
Conference champion on Sunday, August 2. ESPN 3 will also
broadcast a number of matches throughout the summer. For more
information, visit www.WTT.com.
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SOURCE Mylan Inc.