‘You see tennis, we see data:’ how AI is shaking up the sporting experience for fans and athletes

“We say, you see tennis, we see data. You see golf, we see data,” Jonathan Adashek, Senior Vice President, Marketing and Communications, at IBM, told Euronews Culture at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.

The technology company is combining today’s big data phenomenon with the power of AI to equip sportsmen and women with more in-depth insights on how they’re performing, as well as how they size up against their competitors. 

But it’s also helping to drive up the fan experience, offering more immersive, accessible and personalised experiences, amid heightened content expectations and changes in consumption. 

This year, Dell and The All England Lawn Tennis club, which runs Wimbledon, is launching a new generative AI feature to give fans the lowdown on players as they advance through The Championships. 

The ‘Catch Me Up’ feature, accessed through the Wimbledon website and app, will show pre and post-match player cards, featuring AI-generated player stories and analysis. They’ll be personalised based on user preferences and data such as their location, starting with their favourite tennis players. 

For pre-match content, fans will get an analysis of recent performances and their likelihood to win. Post-match, there’ll be key statistics and highlights available.

Generative AI will also be deployed at Wimbledon this year to give fans access to matches beyond the main courts, including wheelchair events. It’s part of an enhanced digital match centre, which will auto-generate pre and post-match summaries. 

“I was talking to somebody who was a professional tennis player for a few years and was ranked, I think, 864th. That was his highest ranking in the world. And he said, ‘when I was playing, I was always on those