The United States Tennis Association (USTA), the national governing body and organizer of the US Open grand slam, has renewed its partnership with global technology company IBM ahead of this year’s tournament.
The deal extends the pair’s 30-year partnership, which has seen IBM build the USTA’s flagship USOpen.org website in 1995 and mobile app in 2009, as well as subsequently introduce new fan-focused digital features on both properties.
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The latest renewal will see new features added to both digital assets, including “Win Factors”, which will provide fans with elements that affect players’ performances, from court surfaces to recent form. Fans can also register their predictions through the “Have Your Say” function and compare their guesses against IBM’s artificial intelligence-powered “Likelihood to Win” feature.
IBM’s new on-site feature “At the Open” has also been added to the app and website to provide ticket access, mobile food ordering, maps, and plans for each day’s events.
These latest features add to other AI-powered functions IBM has already added to the US Open’s website and app, including Power Index, Match Insights, and Fantasy Tennis.
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Kristen Corio, chief commercial officer at the USTA, said: “IBM’s expertise and digital leadership has brought our fans closer to the tournament for the past three decades.
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By GlobalData“We are excited to continue to leverage IBM’s innovative tech to serve up the tournament in exciting new ways and deepen global fan engagement with the US Open.”
The renewal strengthens IBM's influence in sport, after adding a variety of sports properties to their portfolio, including Spanish soccer’s LaLiga, mixed-martial arts’ the Professional Fighters League, and the esports Overwatch League.
IBM also has a long-term relationship with fellow grand slam organizers the All-England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC), which has seen the technology firm introduce similar digital features on the Wimbledon website and app.
The company has been a partner of the AELTC since 1990 and extended its deal as the official information technology supplier of the Wimbledon Championships in 2020 when the tournament was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Jonathan Adashek, IBM's senior vice president of communications and marketing, said: “Our partnership with the USTA provides a unique opportunity to showcase the full breadth of IBM capabilities, against the backdrop of one of the most exciting and iconic sporting events in the world.
“As we look ahead, the possibilities to continually expand and enhance the US Open digital fan experience are endless.
“Together we have created a platform of innovation by activating the same hybrid cloud, AI technology, and IBM Consulting services that we use with our clients across all industries to bring the US Open digital properties to life for millions of tennis fans around the world.”
The US Open begins next week (August 29) and will run through September 11. Qualifying for the event starts tomorrow (August 23).
This year’s edition has already seen record ticket sales following sporting icon Serena Williams’ announcement that she will retire after the event.
The USTA said it had sold 3,200 tickets to the event the day before Williams' announcement, while 16,500 tickets were sold the day after the news broke. Tickets for the opening night of the two-week tournament have sold out through official purchasing sites, with third-party platforms increasing their prices substantially.
The USTA also announced last week (August 19) a record prize purse for this year’s edition, which will see funds top $60 million for the first time, covering both the men’s and women’s tournaments.
The figure represents a $2.5-million increase from 2021 and will see the men’s and women’s singles champions each receive $2.6 million, up $100,000 from last year, while the beaten finalists will take away $1.3 million, up $500,000.
