Orange County’s professional tennis team is looking to build momentum off the court after winning the Mylan World TeamTennis championship under first-year owner Eric Davidson.
Only days removed from the Orange County Breaker’s second championship in its 13-year history, General Manager Allen Hardison is working the phones, lining up potential sponsors for the 2018 season, including those in the real estate and air travel sectors.
“We’ve already had new sponsors come out the woodwork and who want to get involved with the team,” he said. “It’s fun to finally win one of these things.”
Ah, the spoils of victory, especially in a fickle market with endless entertainment options.
Negotiations are already under way to expand capacity next season at the Breakers home venue—the storied Palisades Tennis Club in Newport Beach, which hosted seven matches this year. The venue, which opened in 1974 as the John Wayne Tennis Club named for its famous founder, holds about 1,000 fans.
Ken Stuart acquired the club in 1995 and renamed it after the Wayne family sought compensation for using the name. He is one of the county’s biggest tennis advocates. Stuart, who spent a few years on the Association of Tennis Professionals tour, welcomes a new era for the sport here fueled by the Breakers and the league’s success.
“That is something to capitalize on. You have a winning formula,” said Stuart, who kept the Duke’s personal touches at the club throughout the years, much to the delight of its 600 or so paying members. “My wish is it grows and grows.”
Fans, Sponsors
Palisades stakeholders, which include about 1,000 local and nearby residents, were instrumental in filling up the venue, spreading the word, and building a solid foundation for growth in the coming years, according to Hardison.
“It’s very easy to build on that,” he said. “Demand is going to be quite a bit higher next year.”
That’s good news for the franchise’s sponsors, which included Sterling BMW, Orange Coast Magazine, Newport Orthopedic Institute and Hoag Orthopedic Institute. Hardison expects all of them to renew next year.
He’s been approached by a few parties interested in livestreaming matches beyond the three or four annual national broadcasts carried on the Tennis Channel, ESPN3 and ESPN2, which airs the Mylan WTT Finals typically played in early August at the end of the monthlong season.
His pitch to local businesses is simple: “You want to be on ESPN2 and the Tennis Channel?”
A typical WTT team will break even in a good year, similar to the financial situation facing a lot of owners of major sports franchises these days.
Revenue is generated from ticket sales, in-game concessions and merchandising, sponsorships and broadcasting deals.
The Breakers’ first season in Mylan World TeamTennis in 2003 was played at Palisades, its home venue through 2006, a stretch that included its first title in 2004 and contracts with some of the top players in league history, such as Pete Sampras, Lindsay Davenport and Maria Sharapova.
Sharapova, one of just six women in the Open era to win the coveted Grand Slam, returned to the Breakers for two matches this year in the six-team league amid lingering health questions and a doping scandal that led to a 15-month ban.
The transcendent Russian star, along with Steve Johnson, were the Breakers’ premier players this year, although several others picked up individual accolades, including Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player honors.
The Breakers winning mix, which includes head coach and Newport Beach resident Rick Leach, a former No. 1-ranked world doubles champion, bodes well for next year’s expectations, according to Hardison.
“We’re making some pretty good waves for 2018, which is exciting,” he said. “The possibilities are endless.”
