CEO Tennis Australia Craig Tiley, Dr Lan Lin CEO of Hisense, and Todd Woodbridge
CEO Tennis Australia Craig Tiley, Dr Lan Lin CEO of Hisense, and Todd Woodbridge.

Eight years after entering the Australian market, Chinese consumer electronics and home appliances brand Hisense says its products are now available in over 80 per cent of retailers around the country.

Beginning its operations in Melbourne and growing steadily throughout the country, this pattern is reflected in the brand’s sponsorship strategy; signing on for three more years to support Melbourne’s major sporting event with a nation-wide reach, the Australian Open.

This week Hisense Australia signed an agreement with Tennis Australia to extend its sponsorship with the Australian Open as official TV and refrigeration supplier through to 2017. It also confirmed it will retain naming rights of Hisense Arena in Melbourne Park  in Olympic Park precinct for another three years.

In the coming month’s Hisense Arena will unveil specific activations to bring the brand closer to the fans that walk through it. At the last Australian Open, Hisense provided an escape from the Melbourne summer and a place to watch the on-court action from its Ultra HD Lounge.

Hisense first secured the naming rights for the arena in 2008, when it was a little known name in the Australian market.

“Associating ourselves with the Australian Open and integrating our products in that event in Melbourne has been an opportunity to educate the consumer market on Ultra High Definition with a direct conversation with the end user.” Andre Iannuzzi, Hisense national marketing manager said.

“Melbourne & Olympic Parks, Tennis Australia and Hisense are focused on quality customer experiences, services that are world class while embracing the latest technologies to facilitate growth,” Iannuzzi said.

Hisense Australia is also the official television supplier to the Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix for the 2015 race at Albert Park.