Lipton joins busy Australian Open sponsor roster as brands dial up live activations

Just days out from first serve, the Australian Open is shaping up as much a battleground for brands as it is for players, with a flurry of sponsorship announcements underscoring the tournament’s growing commercial pull. 

Tennis Australia has confirmed Lipton Ice Tea as its latest partner, adding to a roster that already includes major sponsor Kia, alongside returning heavyweights such as ANZ, Emirates, Luzhou Laojiao and Rolex - each leaning hard into on-site experiences, national activations and extended reach beyond Melbourne Park. 

Rather than a traditional logo-led partnership, Lipton’s debut centres on a dedicated fan activation at TOPCOURT, where the brand will launch a custom-built precinct featuring a branded Lipton Island bar and exclusive iced tea creations developed specifically for the Australian Open. 

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The activation is positioned as a non-alcohol alternative aimed squarely at Gen Z audiences, with the partnership also extending into limited-edition Australian Open packaging and retail activations across Coles and Woolworths. 

The move reflects the tournament’s broader shift toward immersive, social-first sponsorships that prioritise experience over visibility alone. 

Lipton joins confectionery giant M&M’S, which is returning to the Australian Open for a second year with an even larger activation footprint. As the official confectionery partner, the Mars-owned brand has launched M&M’S Spotto, a nationwide interactive game encouraging fans to spot the brand’s characters or logo during the tournament, whether watching on TV, outdoors or on-site. 

In a first-of-its-kind collaboration with Amazon Ads’ Brand Innovation Lab, participants can upload photos of their sightings to redeem free chocolate, effectively turning the Australian Open into a shoppable, gamified media platform. 

The activation strategy builds on last year’s fan engagement, with M&M’S clearly viewing the Australian Open as a national-scale brand moment rather than a venue-bound sponsorship. 

Meanwhile, Chemist Warehouse has reaffirmed its long-standing relationship with Australian tennis, signing a multi-year extension as Official Pharmacy Partner across the Australian Open and the broader Summer of Tennis calendar, including the United Cup and multiple international lead-in tournaments. 

As part of the renewed deal, Chemist Warehouse has secured presenting rights to the national Cardio Tennis program, aligning the brand more deeply with participation, wellness and grassroots engagement. On-site, fans will again see the return of the Chemist Warehouse flagship store at Rod Laver Arena Terrace, alongside pop-ups, refresh stations and an on-site pharmacist operating throughout the tournament.

Behind the scenes, the retailer will also continue its Workforce Wellness program, supporting Australian Open staff with dedicated health and recovery spaces, a reminder that sponsorship impact increasingly extends beyond consumer-facing moments.

With more than 1.2 million fans attending the tournament in 2025, the event has become a rare platform capable of delivering mass reach, live experience and cultural relevance in a single hit.