Wimbledon by Numbers

As the champions are about to be crowned for another year at the famous grass courts of the All England Club, time to reflect, not just on the tennis, but the business of the event.

Wimbledon is global brand that made almost £25 million profit after tax last year. The event is watched on television in over 562 million homes in 178 countries. Nearly half a million spectators, paying anywhere from £5 to £60 per ticket, will pass through the gates in the leafy outer suburb of London. And the spending won't stop once they are inside - visitors will buy 17,000 bottles of champagne and 31 tons of strawberries, 100,000 pints of beer and 130,000 lunches.

Sponsors include Rolex, IBM and HSBC - big names who are aiming their products at a global, affluent market and taking advantage of a rare week of sunshine in July for some hospitality and deal making. Some of the sponsorship monies are being used to bring the centre court up to super-modern standards. Work due to be completed in 2009 will increase the number of seats to 15,000 and allow the roof to be closed so rain (which so often delays the event) does not stop play.

And what of the other 50 weeks of the year, well organizers have opened 34 Wimbledon stores around the world, (14 in China alone) that sell everything from logo-bearing towels to diamond-encrusted jewellery. It's a long way from a gentlemanly game in white in 1877.

The ? Mens Tennis at Queens

Wimbledon starts today, the famous Grand Slam event held on grass on the outskirts of London. Traditionally the men warm up at Queens Club and since the seventies that tournament has been sponsored by Stella Artois.

This year, perhaps as part of the Belgian beer's campaign to position their brand as something other than the drink of football hooligans and 'wife beaters', the Stella name was dropped from the hoardings and flags and replaced with just the Artois name.

Next year, the familiar red will not be seen at all. The title sponsorship for the pre-Wimbledon event at Queens is up for grabs.

For more - read Claire Beale's article "Adland wonders what returns it might get from serving up tennis"