Wimbledon Eyes Indian Market, Courts Cricket Fans in Strategic Expansion

New Delhi: Wimbledon, the prestigious tennis tournament, is actively seeking to expand its reach in India, a nation where cricket reigns supreme. The All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC), organizers of the Wimbledon Championships, have already witnessed the presence of prominent Indian cricketers like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Dinesh Karthik, and Sachin Tendulkar at the event.

Carlos Alcaraz prepares for Wimbledon 2025 at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)

AELTC Chief Executive Sally Bolton has identified India and the US as key markets for growing the historic Wimbledon brand. Brendan Dinen, Head of Marketing at Wimbledon, spoke with TimesofIndia.com about the strategy. "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. Both sports are rich in heritage... 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," Dinen explained.

Leveraging Cricket's Popularity

Wimbledon is exploring innovative collaborations with cricket to capture the attention of Indian audiences. One such initiative involved partnering with an Indian social media influencer, offering them a unique experience that combined a visit to Lord's during a Test match with an afternoon at the Wimbledon Championships.

Carlos Alcaraz celebrates his Wimbledon 2024 victory (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)

Furthermore, Wimbledon collaborated with Star Sports, their broadcast partner, to create a tennis-cricket crossover trailer that aired during the Indian Premier League (IPL), capitalizing on the tournament's massive viewership.

Targeting Younger Audiences

Wimbledon recognizes the importance of engaging younger demographics and is tailoring its content strategy accordingly. "Younger audiences and audiences of the future are crucial to us," Dinen stated. The focus is on creating engaging content for platforms like Instagram and YouTube, showcasing different aspects of the Championships while keeping tennis at the core.

Overcoming Challenges

Despite its global appeal, Wimbledon acknowledges the need to expand its presence further. While aiming to host events in India, the monsoon season presents a logistical challenge. To overcome this, AELTC is partnering with PVR INOX to broadcast the finals in theaters.

Another tactic involves inviting Indian cricket stars to the Royal Box, leveraging their massive social media following to generate buzz and attract attention to the tournament.

Embracing Technology

Wimbledon is embracing technology to enhance the fan experience. The tournament has partnered with IBM to incorporate Artificial Intelligence (AI) into its app and website. The "Match Chat" assistant provides real-time answers to fans' questions and offers match analysis during live matches.

"We continue to embrace technology, and it sits at the heart of the balance between heritage and innovation," Dinen emphasized. Wimbledon is also exploring Virtual Reality and gaming experiences, aiming to bring the Championships to life in new and engaging ways.