Tennis Australia entered into a multi-year partnership with tech leader Adobe that will employ artificial intelligence for marketing and creative purposes, with the aim of transforming the Australian Open into a worldwide, year-round enterprise and broadening the sport’s global footprint.
Expanding the tournament’s footprint
The deal will merge fan data, digital interactions and AI-generated content to provide audiences with more tailored experiences. Cedric Cornelis, Tennis Australia’s chief commercial officer, explained that the alliance backs ambitions to position tennis as the nation’s leading participation sport, a game already enjoyed by over two million Australians. The objective is to push the Australian Open’s global presence past its traditional three-week schedule.
“The goals overall are very bold. We want to be the number one sport in Australia, and that means more than two million players. And we want to be the biggest tennis event in the world,” Cornelis said.
Turning a massive audience into loyal fans
The business potential is significant. The tournament draws 1.35 million spectators on the grounds, tens of millions of online visitors, and a worldwide TV audience that reaches into the billions. Alan Sharvin, the chief technology officer of Tennis Australia, pointed out that the difficulty is turning this massive viewership into enduring connections. Gaining deeper insight into each fan is expected to boost commercial outcomes via higher attendance, greater expenditure, and increased participation.
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“We know that happy fans will stay longer, will come more often to the event, will spend more,” he said.
AI as a daily companion
This technology is set to assist Tennis Australia in reaching casual players, coaches and volunteers, simplifying tasks like locating clubs, reserving courts and joining initiatives such as Hot Shots. In the future, attendees may rely on an AI-driven concierge to work through the expansive Australian Open venue. Instead of manually scanning timetables and maps, families could obtain customized suggestions for matches, entertainment, dining and kids’ activities aligned with their preferences.
“AI there can be a great companion to make sure that depending who they are, depending what kind of preferences they have, they don’t miss what’s best for them in a day at the Australian Open,” Cornelis said.
On the court and behind the scenes
Artificial intelligence is currently employed to spot highlights across up to 20 matches occurring at the same time, enabling officials to share exciting clips with fans while games continue. The same AI is also integrated into training gear, where smart ball-launchers can produce varied practice routines for both amateur and professional players. Katrina Troughton, managing director of Adobe Australia and New Zealand, noted that the collaboration illustrates a broader shift in the way companies leverage AI to connect with customers.
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Across sectors, firms are cutting the production and rollout period for marketing material from months or weeks down to days—or even hours. For sports bodies, such rapid turnaround is especially useful when reacting to live action and delivering audience-specific content.
“That’s the exciting thing, particularly in an environment where the freshness of your content, the ability to react to things that are happening,” Troughton said.
Accelerating content creation and global reach
Troughton highlighted that international expansion represents another opportunity, as AI enables content and commentary in multiple languages. The technology can also tailor communications based on geography and favourite players.
“It takes away the grunt work. It makes their life easier,” he said.
