HSBC Brings Wimbledon To NYC With Complementary Tennis Activities June 25-27

NEW YORK, June 24, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- HSBC, official banking partner of Wimbledon, is bringing an authentic taste of the world-famous tennis championship to New York City June 25-27. Complementary outdoor activities at "HSBC Serves Up the Perfect Day at Wimbledon" include playing tennis on Manhattan's only grass court, watching live matches courtesy of ESPN on a giant LED screen, and enjoying the traditional tournament treat strawberries & cream.  The three-day tennis celebration takes place on Broadway between 23/24th Streets, next to the historic Flatiron Building and Madison Square Park. 

At the June 25 kick-off event during week one of Wimbledon, select attendees will play tennis with former world No. 1 ranked players Monica Seles and Jim Courier on a specially-built grass court.  Visit www.us.hsbc.com/wimbledon for details and join the conversation online at #HSBCtennis. 

"As the official Wimbledon banking partner, only HSBC can connect a renowned international event like this to our customers, employees and the New York City community," said Patrick Nolan, CEO, Global Banking & Markets, HSBC Americas, and this year's local host.  "This is our fifth year bringing the championships to life in Manhattan, allowing tennis fans to experience 'the perfect day at Wimbledon' without traveling across the pond." 

Jason Bernstein, ESPN senior director, programming & acquisitions, added, "ESPN is proud to be the exclusive U.S. home to Wimbledon with ESPN, ESPN3 and WatchESPN, and this is a fun way to bring the special flavor and the action from the All England Club to tennis fans in New York and add to the profile and exposure to one of sport's great events."

COMPLEMENTARY ACTIVITIES OPEN TO THE COMMUNITY

• Live Wimbledon Screenings:  Watch live matches daily from 7am - 5pm courtesy of ESPN on the big screen in the HSBC Bank outdoor seating area.   Henman Hill, the famous grass-covered Wimbledon viewing area, will be recreated for spectators.
• Play Singles Tennis: Sign up to play on Manhattan's only grass court.  Court times available June 26-27 from 7-11am, 1-3pm and 5-7pm. Visit www.us.hsbc.com/wimbledon to reserve court times.  The grass court installation is being overseen by Sports Turf of Connecticut, using Bentgrass from New England Turf in West Kingston, RI.
• Enjoy Strawberries & Cream: Sample the Wimbledon treat courtesy of California Giant Berry Farms.  
• Pass the Pro: Match your skills against tennis pros with a simple match-style game. Gotham Tennis Academy, the leading operator of high-performance tennis programs in NYC, Westchester and the Hamptons, is providing tennis professionals to host the event. Walk-ins welcome June 26 and 27, 11am - 1pm and 3 - 5pm.
• Photo Booth: Take a commemorative photo of your winning moment on Center Court at Wimbledon, complete with tennis- themed props. 

ENJOY A TASTE OF WIMBLEDON AROUND THE BIG APPLE
Beginning in 2008, HSBC Bank and California Giant Berry Farms have served complementary strawberries & cream to event attendees during the Wimbledon tournament.  To enable more New Yorkers to enjoy a taste of Wimbledon, HSBC is teaming up with local eateries to serve twists on the traditional tournament treat.  The restaurants, bakeries and food trucks participating June 24-27 will include: Carnegie Deli, Chinatown Ice Cream Factory, Jacques Torres, Prohibition Bakery, Serendipity, Tea & Sympathy, Wafels & Dinges.  Locations and descriptions of strawberries & cream-themed dishes available at at www.us.hsbc.com/tennis

Notes to editors:

About HSBC
HSBC Holdings plc, the parent company of the HSBC Group, is headquartered in London. The Group serves customers worldwide from around 6,600 offices in over 80 countries and territories in Europe, Hong Kong, Rest of Asia-Pacific, North and Latin America, and the Middle East and North Africa. With assets of US $2,681bn at 31 March 2013, the HSBC Group is one of the world's largest banking and financial services organizations.

HSBC Bank USA, National Association, with total assets of $183.9bn as of 31 March 2013 (US GAAP), serves 3 million customers through retail banking and wealth management, commercial banking, private banking, asset management, and global banking and markets segments. It operates more than 250 bank branches throughout the United States. There are over 165 in New York State as well as branches in: California; Connecticut; Delaware; Washington, D.C.; Florida; Maryland; New Jersey; Pennsylvania; Oregon; Virginia; and Washington State. HSBC Bank USA, N.A. is the principal subsidiary of HSBC USA Inc., an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of HSBC North America Holdings Inc. HSBC Bank USA, N.A. is a member of the FDIC.

About ESPN – All Four Slams, All In One Place
Tennis has been part of ESPN since its first week on the air and provided many memorable moments, but it has never been as important as today, with the US Open joining the lineup in 2009, giving ESPN all four Grand Slam events, something no other U.S. network has ever done, let alone in one year. ESPN has presented the Australian Open since 1984, the French Open since 2002 (plus 1986 – 1993), and Wimbledon since 2003, with exclusivity for live television with all other rights extended added in a 12-year agreement starting in 2012. Exclusivity for the US Open in an 11-year agreement begins in 2015.

ESPN debuted September 7, 1979, and the first tennis telecast was exactly one week later, September 14, a Davis Cup tie, Argentina at U.S. from Memphis with Cliff Drysdale on the call and John McEnroe playing.

In addition, broadband network ESPN3, now in 85 million homes, carries thousands of hours of tennis annually, including all four Grand Slam events, plus ATP 1000 and 500 tournaments and WTA Premier Events, and season-ending championships for both tours.  Also, ESPN Classic shows great matches from the past and the sport receives extensive coverage on SportsCenter, ESPNEWS, Spanish-language ESPN Deportes, ESPN Radio, ESPN.com and ESPN The Magazine.   

About California Giant Berry Farms
California Giant Berry Farms (www.calgiant.com) grows and ships over 25 million trays of berries annually (over 200 million pounds). A privately held company based in Watsonville, California, the company produces strawberries, blueberries, blackberries and raspberries and encompasses all aspects of growing, handling and shipping of fresh berries. The management and employees know the future depends on the actions of today and places concerns for the environment, food safety, excellent quality and service at the core of their business.

SOURCE HSBC