Sony Ericsson today unveiled the six tennis players who have been chosen to be a part of its Xperia™ Hot Shots show with a star-studded event in Miami's famed South Beach.

Activating Sony Ericsson's sponsorship of the Women's Tennis Association (WTA), Xperia™ Hot Shots is a web-based TV show which will follow the lives of six tennis players as they travel the world on tour.

Sony Ericsson will help the players to realize their dreams by giving them exclusive access to the worlds of music, film, gaming and fashion, allowing them to grow their online fan base, an all-important part of being a modern sporting icon. And at the end of the year, the player that has generated the most support on Facebook will win a Sony Ericsson support deal.

The stunt in Miami, ahead of the Sony Ericsson Open, featured a giant, 36-foot tall Facebook page on which the girls and Sony Ericsson brand ambassador, Maria Sharapova, were revealed to an excited crowd on a stage within the structure.

They were joined by Florida TV celebrity Louis Aguirre and hip hop music legend DJ Jazzy Jeff who played a 90 minute set after the unveiling.

The six girls who have been chosen as Xperia™ Hot Shots are: Bethanie Mattek-Sands (USA), Heather Watson (UK), Alize Cornet (France), Sabine Lisicki (Germany), Sorana Cirstea (Romania) and Dominika Cibulkova (Slovakia). They were chosen for their great personalities, their potential on and off court and their desire to connect with fans on social media.

Commenting on the launch, Xperia Hot Shot, Bethanie Mattek-Sands said: "I'm so pleased to be here in Miami kicking off Xperia Hot Shots - the launch tonight, in front of a home crowd, was amazing. I have had so much fun already - we've been filming for the last few weeks - and I can't wait to get involved in some of the other activities Sony Ericsson has got planned!"

Programming for Xperia™ Hot Shots will begin on Monday 21 March, with the first show being aired on a dedicated YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/xperiahotshots). An Xperia™ Hot Shots Facebook page (www.facebook.com/xperiahotshots) will keep fans up to date on what the girls have been up to, and each player will maintain their own Facebook page and Twitter accounts with engaging updates to help sign up followers.

Commenting on the show, Vice President, Head of Global Marketing Partnerships for Sony Ericsson, Stephan Croix, said: "Xperia™ Hot Shots is an exciting and innovative web TV show that will bring added entertainment to women's tennis.  It provides fans with the chance to get closer to WTA players and celebrities, see them take part in unusual challenges and amazing stunts, all of which they can watch on their Xperia™ smartphones. We're really excited to have announced the six Xperia™ Hot Shots in Miami - a true celebrity hang out! We'll be providing fans with a great show throughout the course of the year, with a mix of tennis and entertainment that only Sony Ericsson can provide."

Maria Sharapova added: "Tonight's launch of Xperia™ Hot Shots was great fun - it was fantastic to finally be able to reveal who the six girls are after the launch in Melbourne. I wish I'd had this opportunity when I started playing. It sounds like they're going to be getting up to some pretty amazing stuff over the next few months."

Click here to see photos from the launch.

Click here to see a video from the launch.