Australian Open: prize money, attendance, fan activities and more
The Australian Open is the first of four Grand Slam tournaments every year. Organised by Tennis Australia and the ITF, the event is played on hardcourt during the Australian summer. Summer vibes, live music, major sponsors and a large prize money purse make the ‘Happy Slam’, as it is also known, attractive for players and fans.
Below we take a look at a few of the business aspects of the Australian Open, from location to prize money and from attendance to fan activities.
When does the Australian Open take place?
The 2020 Australian Open takes place in Melbourne, Australia from January 20th until February 2nd.
Since 1988 the event takes place at Melbourne Park after being held in various Australian and New Zealand cities.
Melbourne Park has had major redevelopments over the last decade. The expectation is that by 2023 all updates and new construction of the site will be finished. A total of 972 million Australian dollars will be invested by then.
Related: Rebranding of the Australian Open with new identity
Prize money Australian Open
The 2020 Australian Open has a prize money purse of 71 million Australian dollars. An increase of 13.6 percent compared to the 2019 edition and more than double compared to a decade ago. The singles winners will each earn 4.12 million Australian dollars.
| What | Prize Money AUS $ |
|---|---|
| Winner | 4,120,000 |
| Runner-up | 2,065,000 |
| Semifinal | 1,040,000 |
| Quarterfinal | 525,000 |
| Round 4 | 300,000 |
| Round 3 | 180,000 |
| Round 2 | 128,000 |
| Round 1 | 90,000 |
| What | Prize Money AUS $ |
|---|---|
| Winner | 760,000 |
| Runner-up | 380,000 |
| Semifinal | 200,000 |
| Quarterfinal | 101,000 |
| Round 3 | 62,000 |
| Round 2 | 38,000 |
| Round 1 | 25,000 |
Rafael Nadal playing at the Australian Open.
Attendance Australian Open
The Australian Open has attracted around 700,000 people each year over the last couple of years. In 2019 the tournament attracted 796,435 fans, surpassing the 2018 attendance record of 743,667.
Sponsors Australian Open
For the 2020 edition, the Australian Open has a total of 29 partners. Compared to the three other Grand Slams they have the highest amount of partners. In addition, they seem to have a high turnover. In the months leading up to the 2020 tournament, they announced six new partners. They added a pharmacy, insurance and sunglasses company. Plus they partnered with three companies producing alcoholic beverages.
These new partners replaced six companies whose partnerships ended. In 2018 there was also a handful of partners whose association with the tournament ended.
The Australian Open has various Australian and Asian sponsors. Since the tournament is held in the Asia-Pacific region it has a unique selling proposition and a different appeal than the other Majors. This could explain the high amount of partners.
Fan activities
At AO Live fans with an Australian Open ticket get access to live music. In 2020 AO Live kicks off with a concert raising money for the bushfires tormenting the country. Yet every year incredibly musicians are lined up to entertain the tennis fans.
The organisation also focuses on giving kids and families a fantastic experience. The AO Ballpark presented by Emirates is for children aged 10 and under and is full with interactive activities with water, tennis, obstacle courses and more. For children over 10 there is AO Hilltop full with activities like the Skyflyer attraction. And of course tennis can be watched on big screens.
In 2020 fans can also watch a basketball game between NBL Champions Perth Wildcats and Melbourne United. During the final tournament weekend Fortnite Summer Smash will return. This competitive gaming event is Australia’s largest gaming event and awards 400,000 Australian dollars.
Related: The Australian Open and its partners are serving fan value
Australian Open on balance
Overall the Australian Open seems to be in a good place. Year after year the event is able to raise price money and organise a spectacle for players and fans. The organisation has attracted plenty of (big-name) partners, while new initiatives for fans online and at the tournament keep it fresh and attractive.
