IBM and the USTA have introduced new AI features to enhance the fan experience at the 2024 US Open. This latest milestone in their three-decade-long partnership illustrates how AI can transform sports coverage and fan engagement.
Redefining match analysis with AI-generated reports
IBM’s AI platform, watsonx, powers these new and improved capabilities. The highlight of this year’s offerings is the AI-generated match reports, which promise to redefine post-match analysis in tennis journalism.
Using the Granite 13B LLM, IBM will create detailed articles for all 254 singles matches in the tournament. These reports, produced within minutes of a match’s conclusion, will provide fans with in-depth analysis, key statistics, and match highlights.
Jonathan Adashek, IBM’s Senior VP of Marketing and Communications, highlighted the significance of this development: “Fans want more quality content around their favourite sports and athletes, and IBM Match Reports enables us to deliver it right away for the US Open. IBM’s continued partnership with the USTA, built on more than 30 years of innovation, is an example of how businesses in any sector can modernise and scale their workflows with models like Granite and AI technologies like watsonx.”
This feature represents a significant advancement in sports journalism, allowing the USTA to offer unprecedented coverage on a large scale. As Brian Ryerson, Sr. Director of Digital Strategy at the USTA, noted, “AI Match Reports enables us to efficiently deliver concise, factual match previews and reports for over 150 matches to fans across our platforms. The efficiency of providing this content at scale allows our editorial teams to focus on other storylines and interviews, ensuring we can provide the most comprehensive coverage possible.”
Enhanced AI commentary and SlamTracker experience
Building on last year’s success, IBM is enhancing its AI commentary for on-demand highlights. Consequently, the updated system will provide more frequent and expressive audio and subtitles for singles match summaries. Additionally, highlight packages will be available just minutes after each match, giving fans immediate access to key moments.
Tennis enthusiasts will also enjoy a fully redesigned IBM SlamTracker experience, which now offers detailed pre-match, live, and post-match insights. This includes win probability predictions, point-by-point analysis, and concise match previews and recaps. A highlight is the near real-time 3D graphic for live matches, offering fans an immersive view of the on-court action.
These innovations build on IBM’s strong track record in sports tech. Previously, IBM developed AI solutions for top events like Wimbledon and The Masters. For example, at Wimbledon, IBM launched AI-generated commentary and a stats tool for spotting future champions. Similarly, at The Masters, IBM’s AI platform created highlight packages, showcasing its versatility across sports.
Empowering the Future Through AI and Education
IBM and the USTA Foundation are teaming up to offer free career training through IBM SkillsBuild. This effort supports under-resourced youth and aims to skill 30 million people by 2030. The program will provide access to AI and professional development courses, including customized learning plans and guidance from IBM volunteers.
Participants will also benefit from a new guidebook and an interactive micro-learning course, available in both English and Spanish. Moreover, these resources will introduce AI concepts and techniques used in tennis, such as electronic line calling and player analytics. Additionally, they will provide an introduction to LLMs, including IBM Granite, linking all aspects of AI used in the sport.
As the 2024 US Open approaches, these AI-driven innovations are set to bring the drama and excitement of the tournament to over 15 million people around the world. Jonathan Adashek captures the essence of this partnership: “IBM’s continued partnership with the USTA, built on more than 30 years of innovation, is an example of how businesses in any sector can modernise and scale their workflows with models like Granite and AI technologies like watsonx.”
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