The City of Irving is set to relocate the nationally renowned Kansas City Explorers, which is part of the Mayan World Team Tennis organization.
The Irving City Council members approved the resolution pay $400,000 to bring the Explorers to Irving. The team will ask for the public's input to rename and rebrand the team. From the $400k, the city is paying $250,000 to the Kansas City Explorers as an incentive to move and $150,000 to the Four Seasons Resort and Club Dallas at Las Colinas for court renovations.
The deal is only for a one year stay, but city officials and team owners are confident the stay will be longer.
The team is one of eight World Team Tennis franchises, and Irving’s name will be included in the new team logo and brand.
This acquisition will bring eight professional sporting events to the Four Seasons Resort and Club beginning in July. Matches will broadcast on national and regional cable.
International media exposure opportunities will include the broadcast of matches on five continents in countries to include Canada, Spain, UK, South Africa, India, Australia, Russia and parts of the Middle East.
Estimated advertising/marketing value to the city ranges from $1,065,000 to $3,910,000.
About the team: Different from any tennis you’ve watched, imagine the best tennis players in the world, throw in some music between points and very enthusiastic fans (cheering loudly, no golf claps allowed) and you’ve got the right picture. The Explorers Experience is world-class tennis in a social, high-energy atmosphere. Join us for special theme nights, like Ladies Night, USTA Membership Appreciation Night, and 2-for-1 specials. So whether you're a seasoned player or you've never watched a match before, an Explorers match has something for everyone.
About the World TeamTennis Pro League: The World TeamTennis (WTT) Pro League showcases the best in professional team tennis with the innovative co-ed team format co-founded by Billie Jean King in the 1970s. The WTT Pro League, which will be celebrating its 37th season this summer, is a showcase for three generations of tennis standouts, including legends, current tour players and future champions. Since the League’s debut, virtually every major champion of the Open era has played World TeamTennis. WTT is well known for showcasing and introducing innovative elements to tennis including instant replay, co-ed format, cumulative and no-ad scoring, on-court coaching, Overtime and Supertiebreakers, multi-colored courts and player names on the back of shirts.
