Qatar Airways, the state-owned national airline carrier, has struck a deal to become title sponsor of the international Premier Padel tour (run by Qatar Sports Investments).
As part of a major agreement unveiled yesterday, the tour - in its debut season - will be renamed the Qatar Airways Premier Padel Tour, with the December finals in Barcelona, Spain, becoming the Qatar Airways Premier Padel Finals. In addition, the brand has become Premier Padel's official airline partner.
Qatar Airways and Premier Padel will now collaborate to "design custom travel experiences" for players and fans.
Nasser Al-Khelaïfi, chair of Premier Padel (as well as of Qatar Sports Investments and the BeIN Sports broadcaster which is a significant media partner of the tour), has said: “We are delighted to welcome Qatar Airways as the new title sponsor of Premier Padel. We are entering a fantastic new era for the sport and our collaboration with Qatar Airways will deliver exceptional experiences for players and fans, as well as global visibility for the tour.”
Qatar Airways' group chief executive officer, Badr Mohammed Al-Meer, added: “Padel is thriving with ever-increasing participation around the world. Our global network will serve as the perfect way to connect fans, players, and the officials on this 25-destination tour.
“We look forward to playing our role in accelerating the popularity and growth of padel as official title partner and official airline partner of the Qatar Airways Premier Padel Tour."
Qatar Airways joins Red Bull, Wilson, MejorSet, Mondo, Bullpadel, and Playtomic as a key strategic partner of Premier Padel.
Premier Padel is run by QSI but is governed by the International Padel Federation. The series was merged last year with the World Padel Tour (WPT) after QSI acquired it.
The inaugural 2024 calendar features 25 tournaments across five continents and 18 countries. It began on February 26 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and will finish in Barcelona, Spain, in late December.
Qatar Airways, meanwhile, also has a principal partnership in place with Paris Saint-Germain, the top-tier French soccer club which is also in QSI's portfolio.
In addition to this agreement, its portfolio includes deals with properties such as global soccer's governing body FIFA, motor racing's iconic Formula 1, and NBA basketball's Brooklyn Nets.
