Wimbledon Courts India's Cricket Fans: A Strategic Play for Market Expansion

New Delhi: The All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC), organizers of the prestigious Wimbledon Championships, are strategically targeting the Indian market by capitalizing on the nation's fervent love for cricket. High-profile Indian cricketers like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Dinesh Karthik, and Sachin Tendulkar have been frequently spotted at the iconic SW19 grounds.

Rohit Sharma's photograph on Wimbledon's Instagram account generated a record-breaking 4.5 million likes, marking their most engaging post ever! This highlights the potential for cross-promotional activities.

According to AELTC Chief Executive Sally Bolton, India and the US represent key markets for expanding the Wimbledon brand. Brendan Dinen, Head of Marketing at Wimbledon, explained to TimesofIndia.com, "Cricket is much loved and certainly king for Indian audiences. So rather than trying to compete with that, I think it's about trying to find interesting ways to collaborate."

He further added, "Both sports are rich in heritage. England and India Test matches are happening now. So I think there's interesting ways to be able to bring that to life for audiences, so that they might want to come and watch it as well."

Strategic Collaborations

Wimbledon is actively pursuing collaborations to resonate with the Indian audience:

• Influencer Engagement: Partnering with an Indian social media influencer for a behind-the-scenes experience at both Lord's (during a Test match) and Wimbledon.
• Broadcast Partnerships: Working closely with Star Sports to create tennis-cricket crossover trailers aired during the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Dinen emphasized the potential for growth: "So I think there's lots of ways to be able to collaborate as sports properties, and bring that to life for the audience."

Targeting Younger Audiences

Wimbledon recognizes the importance of engaging younger demographics. Last year, the tournament garnered 60-70 million engagements across broadcast and social media platforms. With a potential audience of over a billion in India, there is significant room for expansion.

Dinen clarified, "Younger audiences and audiences of the future are crucial to us. It's clear in the activity that we focus on and our content strategy, whether that's for Instagram, YouTube and the sort of content we create."

The strategy involves creating engaging content tailored for social media platforms, collaborating with influencers, and ensuring tennis remains at the heart of their approach.

Overcoming Challenges

While organizers are keen on hosting events in India, the monsoon season presents a logistical challenge. To address this, AELTC is partnering with PVR INOX to screen the finals in theaters across India.

Leveraging Star Power

Wimbledon aims to attract more attention by inviting Indian cricket icons like Kohli, Tendulkar, and Rohit to the Royal Box. This strategy capitalizes on their massive social media followings.

Embracing Technology

Wimbledon is blending tradition with innovation by integrating technology. This includes using Artificial Intelligence (AI) in their app and website, in collaboration with IBM, to enhance the fan experience.

During live matches, the 'Match Chat' assistant uses AI to answer fans' questions, providing immediate responses and match analysis.

Dinen concluded, "We continue to embrace technology, and it sits at the heart of the balance between heritage and innovation... So we absolutely want to make sure we bring the brand and the Championships to life in new and interesting ways."