BNP Paribas and ITF Announce Davis Cup Worldwide Partnership.

Business Editors

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 21, 2000

The International Tennis Federation and BNP Paribas are pleased to announce that an agreement has been reached for BNP Paribas to become the worldwide title sponsor of the Davis Cup from 2002.

Before becoming the No.1 sponsor of this prestigious worldwide competition, next year BNP Paribas will be one of its international sponsors as of 2001. BNP Paribas is one of the leading European banks located in over 80 countries and has a tradition of partnership with large tennis competitions, especially with the French Open Roland Garros, which the bank has sponsored for more than 27 years. This successful relationship is one of the longest in the history of sport and will be continued. The formal contract between the two organisations will be signed in early 2001 at the offices of BNP Paribas in London, one of the major international financial places and head-office of the International Tennis Federation.

"Everyone at the ITF joins me in welcoming BNP Paribas to the Davis Cup family," said ITF President Francesco Ricci Bitti. "We are honoured that BNP Paribas, with its worldwide reach and successful relationship with Roland Garros, has chosen to become an international sponsor of Davis Cup, stepping up to title sponsor in 2002. Davis Cup is a perfect fit for a major international financial institution like BNP Paribas and we are proud to have the ITF's flagship event partnered with a world-class organisation. As a sponsor of Roland Garros and now the Davis Cup, BNP Paribas has its name at the very pinnacle of the sport throughout the world."

Commenting on this agreement, M. Pebereau, Chairman of the Board and CEO of BNP Paribas, said: "Our worldwide partnership with the Davis Cup will provide a new dimension to our sponsorship activity, which reflects our group's international ambitions following the merger between BNP and Paribas. We are very proud to be both the main sponsor of the leading international team competition, and of the French Open Roland Garros, one of the four Grand Slam tournaments. Tennis is truly a universal sport. BNP Paribas is glad to strengthen its association with the performance and fair-play values of the game."

The ITF, the world governing body of tennis, is the owner and guardian of the century-old Davis Cup competition. Davis Cup is named after American Dwight Davis who founded the competition in 1900 to develop international co-operation through tennis. From two countries in 1900 to 142 in 2001, Davis Cup continues to grow and prosper throughout the world with the continuous support of all the top players and the event is now firmly fixed in the tennis calendar. Other major ITF events include Fed Cup, the Olympic Tennis Event, men's and women's professional tournaments, major junior events including the Junior World Ranking, Wheelchair Tennis and international veteran's events.

"Davis Cup has always had strong support from the business community and the addition of BNP Paribas sends the message that this tradition will continue," said Jan Menneken, ITF Executive Director -- Commercial. "While welcoming BNP Paribas to Davis Cup in 2001, we will also work closely with NEC, our title sponsor for over 20 years, to ensure a smooth transition between these two outstanding partners."

Alongside NEC, the current title sponsor of the event, international sponsors of Davis Cup are Heineken, Hugo Boss and now, in 2001, BNP Paribas.

In the U.S., BNP Paribas conducts certain capital markets activities through BNP Paribas Securities Corp.; a U.S.-registered broker/dealer and member of SIPC.