The 36-year partnership focuses on AI-driven digital experiences to engage the next generation of global tennis fans
IBM and The All England Lawn Tennis Club have renewed their long-standing technology partnership.
IBM has worked on fan engagement projects with The All England Lawn Tennis Club since the launch of the Wimbledon website in 1995, with projects including the launch of the mobile Wimbledon application in 2009 and the first integration of enhanced AI-powered features in 2017.
The new agreement is focused on initiatives to expand Wimbledon’s global reach and achieve deeper fan engagement across the event’s digital ecosystem in 2026 and beyond.
Teams from IBM and the All England Club work together year-round to co-create unique fan experiences – including Live Likelihood to Win and Match Chat – that combine the significant quantity of data generated during The Championships with the AI capabilities of IBM watsonx.
Last year Wimbledon saw a 16% year-on-year increase in engagement across all platforms, with more than 20 million fans closely following all the grass court action via the app and website.
The app alone saw a 19% increase in engagement.
“We are delighted to have agreed a multi-year extension to our long-standing partnership with IBM,” said Usama Al-Qassab, marketing & commercial director, The All England Lawn Tennis Club. “For 36 years, IBM and The All England Club have embraced innovation and created world-leading digital experiences to bring our fans closer to The Championships. As we look to attract the next generation of Wimbledon fans from around the world, the AI-powered capabilities of IBM will be key to ensuring our future digital experiences are relevant, personalised and engaging.”
“The All England Club is a visionary organisation, delivering one of the most globally recognisable properties in sport and broader culture. We are thrilled to continue working in lockstep as partners to serve up a world-class digital experience, driven by leading edge data and AI technology,” added Jonathan Adashek, senior vice president, marketing and communications, IBM. “Whether onsite at SW19 or following from any corner of the globe for years to come, hundreds of millions of tennis fans can rely on having interactive digital features, powered by watsonx, to stay connected to the beauty, drama and excitement of The Championships.”
According to a global survey from IBM and Morning Consult released last summer, 86% of tennis fans worldwide see value in AI-powered features, with real-time insights and personalised highlights central to how they engage.
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