BNP Paribas came to the rescue of the Indian Wells Masters Series event, now called the BNP Paribas Open instead of the Pacific Life Open. While sponsorship is no longer an issue, attendance could be.

The good news for the Masters Series Indian Wells is that it is going strong with a new sponsor, BNP Paribas. Formerly known as the Pacific Life Open, the first Masters Series event of the year got a five-year sponsorship deal from BNP Paribas, which also has an option for an additional five years.

The tournament should be in good hands with BNP Paribas, which is relatively stable financially and has a history of tennis marketing. With new sponsorship, the event sees no signs of stopping. “We’ve been here for 34 years,” explained tournament director Steve Simon. “And we want to be here for 68.”

Attendance in 2009, however, is a different story.

Last season 331,269 paid to see the Masters Series Indian Wills. The numbers won’t be crunched until the end of this week, but this time around it certainly won’t reach that astronomical number for a non-Grand Slam event. Simon admits that the 2008 mark will not be reached, but he says early returns suggest that 300,000 in attendance can be attained. Not bad in these economic times.