Sunny Skies Helping U.S. Open Tennis Sponsor American Express

Two years ago, American Express had to grapple with losing star attraction Andy Roddick (``Where's Andy's Mojo?") when he was shockingly ousted in the first round of the U.S. Open.

Amid blue skies and zero raindrops this year, American Express is reaping the rewards of sustained sunshine during the first week of the final Grand Slam tournament of the year at the National Tennis Center. The financial services company has been a U.S. Open sponsor since 1994.

In addition to hosting viewing parties starting this weekend at Rockefeller Center and Madison Square Park in Manhattan, American Express this year debuted American Express Vision Live at the Open, a handheld device with touch-screen functionality that allows card members to watch the action at courts throughout the tennis mecca.

"The weather is certainly helping us this year,'' American Express director of corporate affairs Joanna Lambert told me. "There's a lot of excitement with the ability to watch matches on different courts. It's been a really fabulous addition. Fans seem to love them, there's so much buzz.''

American Express, which doesn't disclose what its sponsorship costs, also is giving out radios for play-by-play and provides card members with the ability to buy tickets two weeks early. There's even an AmEx singles night at a Manhattan club co-sponsored by Match.com.

"The U.S. Open is such a social experience," added Jessica Igoe, American Express director of sponsorship marketing, to the Sports Business Journal. "What we're trying to do is bring it to different audiences on site, in-market and nationally."