In an effort to increase fan engagement, this year’s Wimbledon tennis tournament will incorporate artificial intelligence (AI)-powered commentary and player analytics, allowing fans to access analytics tailored to the players they follow.
In a June 21 announcement from the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) and technology company IBM, the world’s oldest tennis tournament plans to adopt new technology across its online platform.
Developed in partnership with AELTC, a new AI commentary powered by IBM’s WatsonX technology generates audio and captions for match highlight videos. This revolutionary feature is designed to provide insight into key moments using tennis-specific language.
AELTC Marketing and Commercial Director Usama Al-Kassab said:
“We are constantly innovating with our partners at IBM to deliver an insightful and engaging digital championship experience for Wimbledon fans anywhere in the world.”
He added that the AI feature will give fans access to a “wider range of game commentary.”
While Wimbledon’s ‘show court’ during major matches has human commentary, other events such as senior, junior and wheelchair matches do not have dedicated expert commentary.
An official partner of the Wimbledon Championships since 1990, IBM offers a range of AI-powered analytics tools, including player ‘power indexes’, match insights and personalized highlight reels. The Draw Analysis feature also introduces a new statistic that assesses each player’s favorability on their way to the singles final.
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According to Jonathan Adashek, IBM’s senior vice president of marketing and communications, the company’s AI technology will enhance major sporting events like Wimbledon by delivering exceptional digital experiences to attract more spectators. are aware of the possibility of
As early as 2019, IBM researchers were reportedly working on AI software capable of providing live commentary for sports matches. Just recently, the company reportedly added AI-generated commentary to clips from the Masters Tournament Golf Championship. in April.
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