26 Oct 2026 01:56am
Lion has replaced Asahi Beverages as the Australian Open tennis' beer partner under a multi-year deal.
The Hahn label becomes the official beer of the tournament as well as the Australian Summer of Tennis from 2027.
The signing is significant in Australia's beer sponsorship market, following Asahi's takeover of two major horse racing partnerships previously held by Lion.
In April, the latter secured a seven-year agreement with the Victoria Racing Club (VRC), replacing Lion as the beer and cider partner at Flemington, home of the Melbourne Cup Carnival.
Lion had been associated with the VRC for 25 years.
The rivalry also extends to one of Sydney racing's largest sponsorship properties.
Lion-owned James Squire held naming rights to the $10 million Golden Eagle in 2024.
Asahi Super Dry now sponsors the Group 1 race, which will be staged at Royal Randwick on 31 October.
When announcing its departure from the VRC, Lion said it was reviewing its sponsorship portfolio as its strategic priorities changed.
Carlton & United Breweries (CUB) originally secured the Australian Open beer rights in 2019, introducing Stella Artois as the official beer for the 2020 tournament.
Asahi acquired CUB in 2020, with Peroni becoming the Australian Open's official beer the following year.
Tennis Australia renewed its agreement with Asahi in 2024, covering Peroni, Somersby cider and other beverage brands including Balter.
Asahi Super Dry subsequently replaced Peroni as the featured beer for the 2026 tournament.
Lion will use its new agreement to promote several brands across Melbourne Park, with Hahn taking the lead.
A new two-storey Hahn House will be established on Grand Slam Oval, featuring a beer garden with viewing space for spectators.
Stone & Wood will operate an activation at Garden Square, while Lion-owned Four Pillars will establish a gin bar at Kia Arena.
These locations were previously used by Asahi, including the Peroni Capri Beach Club on Grand Slam Oval and the Balter Bar at Garden Square.
Lion will extend the AO sponsorship beyond Melbourne Park to national retail and pub promotions.
This will include limited-edition Hahn packaging, consumer competitions and tennis-themed merchandise.
A promised activation is pop-up pickleball courts at pubs.
The Lion deal gives access to one of Australia's largest sporting audiences.
The 2026 AO claimed 1,368,043 attendees across three-weeks, while 1.7 million attended events across the Australian Summer of Tennis.
Lion CEO Anubha Sahasrabuddhe said, “Partnering with Tennis Australia is a major milestone for Lion as we continue to invest in Australia’s biggest cultural and sporting moments.”
Tennis Australia chief commercial officer, Cedric Cornelis replied, “We are constantly looking for new ways to elevate the fan experience, and Hahn House will provide an exciting new destination on Grand Slam Oval.”
Lion’s Hahn label returned as official beer of the Wallabies under a two-year deal with Rugby Australia in July.
The Australian Open will be held from 11 to 31 January 2027.
Asahi Beverages will remain an Australian Open partner despite losing the beer rights to Lion, retaining exclusive pouring rights across several non-alcoholic beverage categories.
An Asahi Beverages spokesman said, “Asahi Beverages will continue as an Official Partner of the Australian Open through our non-alcohol portfolio with exclusive pourage of various non-alcohol categories including water, sports drinks and soft drinks.”
“Fans at the tournament will continue to enjoy some of our leading non-alcohol drinks such as Lipton Iced Tea, Cool Ridge water, Gatorade Zero Sugar and Solo. We will also have our first ever non-alcohol activation on Grand Slam Oval.”