In this episode, we sit down with Chris Clements, Digital Strategy and Products Lead at Wimbledon (All England Lawn Tennis Club), to explore what it really takes for one of sport's most iconic institutions to continue innovating and delivering for their multi-generational fanbase. During the chat, Chris breaks down how Wimbledon is balancing 149 years of heritage with the need to reach entirely new audiences, and the Championships strategies for gaming, social and broadcast. Alongside that, we dig into the 35-year IBM partnership that powers Wimbledon's innovation programme, the AI tools redefining the on and off-court experience, and the new products and experiences that have gone live in this years Championships. So tune in to know how Wimbledon is building an innovation strategy around their fans needs, and how they're thinking about engaging with the next generation of fans who've never picked up a racket or watched a Grand Slam on live TV.
00:00 – Introduction
02:20 – How Wimbledon is serving their 750 million global fanbase
05:30 – The shifting media landscape, and Wimbledon's distribution strategy
08:15 – Wimbledon's 35-year partnership with IBM, and how its helping them drive innovation
11:10 – Wimbledon's AI journey
12:10 – Match Chat, Live Likelihood to Win, and the AI features redefining the on-court experience
17:35 – Why a multi-year delivery cycle is key to fan retention
21:00 – How Wimbledon is leveraging data, fan research and pilot programs to decide on where to place their bets
28:00 – Why ticket accessibility is so fundamental to the Wimbledon Brand
32:30 – The 100+ year partnership with the BBC, and their new launches for the 2026 Championships
43:10 – Wimbledon's gaming strategy, and their new launches on Roblox for the 2026 Championships.
44:00 – Wimbledon's approach to storytelling and entertainment
52:10 – The KPI's that Wimbledon are judging success in gaming around
58:00 – The vision for the next 5 years, and how they plan to serve every type fan a relevant, curated experience at scale
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