DP World Tour hits $300m sponsorship record after agreeing HCLTech deal

DP World Tour sponsorship revenue is set to top $300m for the first time this year after the European professional golf circuit added HCLTech as a top-tier partner.

The India-headquartered tech multinational has been named the tour’s official digital experience partner, with an initial focus on building a new website and app to improve fan engagement.

The deal is set to take sponsorship revenue from the tour and its events to record levels at a time when competitor LIV Golf faces uncertainty over its future as its major backer, Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, considers withdrawing funding.

“Golf is traditionally the sport of business and the tour’s global platform provides a targeted and flexible platform for HCLTech to showcase their innovation at scale and connect with audiences worldwide,” said DP World Tour commercial boss Max Hamilton.

The HCLTech agreement follows the tour’s announcement last week that it will become the first sports event organiser to leverage Amazon Leo, the low earth orbit satellite broadband system that is a rival to Elon Musk’s Starlink.

“The DP World Tour has a truly global fan base, which demands a world-class digital ecosystem to engage fans seamlessly, week after week,” said chief technology officer Michael Cole. 

“As we continue to elevate our digital ambition, we selected HCLTech for its deep engineering heritage, proven expertise in building large-scale, always-on digital platforms, and its ability to translate technology into meaningful fan experiences.”

HCLTech’s dual partnership with DP World Tour

The DP World Tour – formerly the European Tour – consists of 40 annual events, including the Dubai Desert Classic, the PGA Championship at its Wentworth base and the season-ending DP World Tour Championship in Dubai.

HCLTech chief marketing officer Jill Kouri said: “We’re excited to partner with the DP World Tour – as both a client and a core marketing activation partner. 

“On the client side, we’re excited to be involved in a digital transformation programme that will make it easier for fans to discover, analyse and share the moments that matter. 

“From a partnership perspective, the collaboration further amplifies HCLTech’s global brand presence, expanding our reach to diverse international audiences, primarily in Europe.”