CASE STUDY - Wimbledon Tennis Championships Go On Demand
Commentary by Rob McCowen, Marketing Director, All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club
The Wimbledon Tennis Championships are an established event in the British sporting season: A unique, quintessentially English occasion that conjures up images of world-class tennis played on immaculate grass courts, good-humored spectators and, of course, the interruptions of the British weather.
A World-Class Event from a Small, Private Club
The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club stages the Championships and is very proud of its unique reputation. For two weeks every year, this small club’s infrastructure scales up exponentially to accommodate the demands of the world’s sporting media, half a million spectators onsite, over half a billion television viewers, and around four million unique users of the official Wimbledon Web site.
Drawing the Eyes of the World to Wimbledon
Real-time information is important in attracting and retaining new players and audiences. Players use it to improve their game, and the information provided on the spot to international television and broadcaster graphics systems gives color and depth to the viewers’ experience. Broadcasters can access the Commentator Information System to enrich their commentaries with statistical analysis and comparative performance data.
Previously, we developed businessopportunities based on awareness createdthrough our TV coverage. Increasingly, newbusiness opportunities arise through interestgenerated by our Web site … Companies inJapan, for example, are learning more aboutWimbledon, leading to new revenue streams.
Rob McCowen, All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club
On Demand Business Benefits
- Drives business innovation through the use of new market channels
- Delivers cost-effective scalability, enabling a small club to host a global sporting event
- Increases resilience
- Meets increasing audience expectations
On Demand Scalability Defined
- A seamless, high-performance solution that flexes to meet business demands
- No large, upfront capital investment
- Wimbledon does not own, manage, or maintain the infrastructure, leaving it free to focus on its key business
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Tennis fans around the world take a “virtual seat” at www.wimbledon.org and feel part of the action. The IBM On Demand Scoreboard delivers live point-by-point scores directly to the desktop, and the new Stroke Tracker ball-tracking system is available online for the first time this year, enabling users to compare players’ games shot by shot.
The Wimbledon Web site is vital tostimulating interest in the Championships,and IBM Business Consulting Servicesworks with the club to ensure that thesite generates year-round business. Theonline shop is particularly popular in theU.S., China, and Japan. Rob McCowen,marketing director at the Championships,says: “Previously, we developed businessopportunities based on awareness createdthrough our TV coverage. Increasingly,new business opportunities arise throughinterest generated by our Web site. This isparticularly relevant in the U.S. and Asia.Companies in Japan, for example, arelearning more about Wimbledon, leadingto new revenue streams.”
Improved Decision-Making and Efficiency
A new management solution was used in last year’s Championships to support player accreditation, manage players’ guests, and coordinate other player facilities such as the provision of limousines. This year, press, radio broadcasters, and photographers will be managed through the solution. Eventually it will cover everyone on site at Wimbledon who is not a paying ticket holder. Administration overhead will be reduced as records are no longer prepared manually, and there will be less duplication of effort. Managers will also gain access to better reporting facilities, improving security, decision making, and efficiency.
Continual Innovation in an English Country Garden
Players, tennis fans, and the Lawn Tennis Association all benefit from innovations that reach out to global audiences through new content channels, optimize revenue streams through e-commerce or awareness raising, and increase the efficiency with which the Championships are organized and run.
This article originally appeared in the issue of .