Wimbledon Eyes India's Massive Cricket Fanbase in Expansion Drive

New Delhi: Wimbledon, the prestigious tennis tournament, is actively seeking to expand its reach in India by capitalizing on the nation's deep-rooted passion for cricket. Prominent Indian cricketers like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Dinesh Karthik, and Sachin Tendulkar have been frequent attendees at the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC), the organizers of the Wimbledon Championships.

Carlos Alcaraz prepares for Wimbledon 2025.

Rohit Sharma's photograph on Wimbledon's Instagram garnered a record-breaking 4.5 million likes, highlighting the potential of tapping into the Indian cricket fanbase.

According to AELTC Chief Executive Sally Bolton, India, along with the US, represents a key market for expanding the Wimbledon brand. Brendan Dinen, Head of Marketing at Wimbledon, emphasized the strategy of collaboration rather than competition with cricket in an interview with 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. 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," said Dinen.

Wimbledon is actively engaging with the Indian audience through various initiatives:

• Social Media Engagement: Partnering with Indian social media influencers to provide behind-the-scenes access to Wimbledon and related events, such as a visit to Lord's during a Test match.
• Cross-Promotion: Collaborating with Star Sports, their broadcast partner, to create tennis-cricket crossover trailers that aired during the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Carlos Alcaraz triumphs at Wimbledon 2024.

Targeting Younger Audiences

Wimbledon recognizes the importance of attracting younger viewers. Dinen stated, "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."

Overcoming Challenges

While eager to host events in India, Wimbledon faces logistical challenges due to the monsoon season. To address this, the AELTC is partnering with PVR INOX to broadcast the finals in theaters across India. The aim is to leverage the vast social media presence of Indian cricket icons by inviting them to the Royal Box.

Embracing Technology

Wimbledon is also embracing technology to enhance the fan experience. This includes utilizing Artificial Intelligence (AI) on its app and website, in coordination with IBM. The 'Match Chat' assistant provides real-time answers to fans' questions during live matches, offering 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... We've brought experiences to life in places like Roblox. So we absolutely want to make sure we bring the brand and the Championships to life in new and interesting ways."