The Badminton World Federation (BWF) has unveiled a revamped World Tour structure that will begin from 2027-2030.
With these changes, Stadium Astro highlights three changes fans could look forward to at the 2027 Malaysia Open which remains a Super 1000 event.
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11-day tournament
The Axiata Arena will play host to next year’s Malaysia Open over a 11-day period, replacing the current six-day tournament duration.
The extended tournament comes after format changes to the draw, with the singles competition now expanded to 48 shuttlers competing in group stage instead of 32 knockout rounds.
This would also mean more rest days for the competing singles shuttlers. The doubles format will remain as a 32-draw.
All matches at the Malaysia Open are also set to be televised live.
Prize money increase
Among the notable changes for the Super 1000 tournaments is the increase in prize money.
The current total prize purse for this tier event stands at $1.45 million (RM5.6 million), but that will change next year with a bump to $2million (RM7.8 million).
The RM2.2 million increase is surely an attractive proposition for every shuttler, and we can expect a star-studded affair at the 2027 Malaysia Open.
Increased player-fan engagement, more exclusive content
The BWF has promised more carnival and festival-style activations for the new World Tour cycle.
While the carnival atmosphere is already prevalent at the Malaysia Open with a food carnival outside the Axiata Arena and sponsors’ activation booths present, next year will witness more interaction between players and fans.
A longer tournament means sponsors could capitalize by organizing fans meet-and-greet with their idols. With players given rest days between matches, they will have sufficient recuperation time and the opportunity to engage with fans and attract a bigger crowd to the venue.
A dedicated ‘Over The Top’ (OTT) platform highlighted by BWF also means there would be a dedicated digital media platform where fans could access exclusive ‘behind-the-scenes’ content by potentially paying a subscription fee.
