IBM Introduces New AI and Cloud Technology for 2021 US Open, Enhancing Fans Engagement

IBM announced the introduction of artificial intelligence (AI) and hybrid cloud technology to create a new experience for fans following the tennis Grand Slam. The digital provider of US Open, IBM is introducing innovative features for fans all around the world that keep them informed with real-time insights and rankings, empowering them to enjoy the US Open in new ways.

Innovative Features

All innovative features will be accessible through both the US Open app and USOpen.org.

• IBM Power Rankings with Watson – AI-powered daily rankings of player momentum. The ranking system focuses on the player’s recent history, analyzes player performance data, access media commentary, and measure player momentum, creating a leaderboard and updating it on a daily basis.
• Match Insights with Watson – AI-generated information briefs that keep fans up-to-date ahead of every single match during the tournament. It includes features such as “In the Media”, which extracts insights from news sources.
• Likelihood to Win (L2W) – Each player will have a percentage that represents the likelihood that they will win the match.
• Ones to Watch – Highlights players pre-tournament who have a significantly higher IBM Power Ranking than their respective tour rank.
• Upset Alerts – Identifies matches where the IBM Power Rankings favor an underdog, as defined by the tour ranks, to win based on a higher L2W.

Fan Engagement in Highlight

A recent survey, carried out by the IBM Institute for Business Value, highlighted the importance of utilizing digital channels in fan engagement, a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. 84% of US adults surveyed report watching sports on digital platforms compared to the 41% pre-pandemic.

“Our partnership with IBM enables us to offer advanced data-driven insights to millions of fans worldwide watching or attending the tournament,” said Kirsten Corio, Managing Director, Ticketing, Hospitality and Digital Strategy, USTA. “Behind the scenes, IBM Cloud allows us to have the flexibility and security to power our remote operations, innovate new features year over year, and ensure that the US Open Digital Properties run flawlessly to deliver the tournament to the world.”

“Since last year’s entirely virtual tournament we’ve learned even more about what fans are looking for and how technology can help execute a tournament of this scale,” said Noah Syken, Vice President of Sports & Entertainment Partnerships, IBM. “We’re excited to bring that insight into our continued partnership with the USTA, and to help leverage our AI and cloud expertise to make the tournament more engaging for fans via the digital platforms and their new fan experiences, and the behind-the-scenes technology that helps enable the tournament.”

Hybrid Cloud Architecture

With the pandemic pushing experiences into an online environment, the hybrid cloud architecture ensures flexibility for the US Open’s digital operation. The on and off-site teams can cooperate effectively, keeping operations running at speed.

To access the new features, visit USOpen.org, or download the US Open app, available in the Apple and Android app stores.