Wimbledon 2023 to feature AI-based draw analysis and commentary
Wimbledon 2023 to provide unique fan experience by including generative AI-based tech, provided by IBM’s WatsonX.
Highlights
- Wimbledon 2023 will take place from July 3 to July 16
- IBM has been official partner to the Wimbledon Championship since 1990
IBM, which has been an official partner to the Wimbledon Championship since decades, has unveiled exciting AI-powered enhancements with All England Lawn Tennis Club(AELTC) to the Wimbledon digital fan experience for this year's Championships. These features, developed in collaboration with IBM iX, aim to engage and enlighten tennis enthusiasts.
Usama AL-Qassab, Marketing & Commercial Director at The All England Clud said:
“We are constantly innovating with our partners at IBM to provide Wimbledon fans, wherever they are in the world, with an insightful and engaging digital experience of The Championships. This year, we’re introducing new features for our digital platforms that use the latest AI technology from IBM to help fans gain even more insight into the singles draw and access commentary on a wider variety of matches through our match highlights videos.”
AI commentary for Tennis matches
One of the new tools is generative AI commentary, which provides fans watching match highlight videos with the option to receive audio commentary and captions of key moments. This feature offers a more insightful experience when catching up on matches through the Wimbledon App and wimbledon.com.
It also represents a step towards making commentary available for matches outside of Wimbledon's Show Courts, which already feature live human commentary. IBM iX and AELTC Club experts trained the AI using foundation models from IBM's enterprise AI and data platform,WatsonX The generative AI employed in this feature enhances the informative and engaging nature of the clips by producing narration with diverse sentence structures and vocabulary.
AI draw analysis
Additionally, an innovative feature called AI draw analysis, a first in tennis, has been introduced. Leveraging AI, this feature provides statistics to determine the favorability of the path to the final for each player in the singles draw.
It takes into account factors such as potential future opponents and the player's position in the draw compared to competitors to generate a draw favorability rating. This unique insight enables tennis fans to uncover anomalies and potential surprises that may not be evident solely by considering player rankings, fostering more debate and engagement within the fan community.
Leveraging IBM’s WatsonX AI technology for a unique fan experience
Jonathan Adashek, SVP of Marketing and Communications for IBM, highlighted the power of these innovative tools in enhancing digital experiences for major sporting events like Wimbledon. IBM's use of foundation models and generative AI from WatsonX brings new layers of insight and engagement to the 2023 Championships.
The same technology that IBM employs to drive business transformation across various sectors and industries is now creating unique fan experiences for Wimbledon. These new features complement the existing suite of AI-powered tools available on the Wimbledon App and wimbledon.com.
The suite includes the IBM Power Index Leaderboard, IBM Match Insights, and Personalised Highlights Reels and Recommendations. Leveraging IBM's Watson AI technology, these digital features analyse over 100,000 data points from every shot played during the tournament, offering fans a deeper understanding of players, opponents, and likely outcomes.
Constant updates and tailored insights ensure fans remain engaged throughout the tournament. To witness these AI-powered features in action, fans can visit wimbledon.com or download the Wimbledon App from the App Store or Play Store. Wimbledon 2023 will take place from 3 July to 16 July.
