IBM Powers U.S. Open Digital Experience With AI-Driven Fan Engagement Tools
IBM is running the technical backbone of the U.S. Open's digital platforms, feeding real-time data and AI analysis into the tournament's app and website. Features like the Serve Quality metric track 21 data points per player 50 times a second, producing over 1.2 billion data points across the tournament, while an AI chatbot answers fan questions about the sport. Engagement has surged, with 14 million unique devices and nearly 47 million visits in 2025, a 19% jump from the prior year.
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The partnership shows how AI is moving from novelty to core infrastructure in live sports, handling scale and speed that a small organization like the USTA couldn't manage alone. It signals a broader trend of legacy tech companies embedding AI directly into consumer-facing experiences during high-stakes, time-limited events, potentially setting a template other sports and event organizers could follow.
- IBM processes massive real-time data volumes to power U.S. Open fan features like Serve Quality and match chat.
- Fan engagement grew significantly in 2025, with 47 million visits across digital platforms, up 19% year-over-year.
- The case illustrates how AI infrastructure lets small organizations like the USTA scale rapidly for short, high-demand events.
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See Wilson Blade 98 v9 Tennis Racket on Amazon → Affiliate link — we may earn a commission on purchases, at no extra cost to you. Product picked by AI based on this article; it is not a tested recommendation.Source: entrepreneur.com — Leo Zevin, 2026-09-11
Published there as: “IBM Is Using The U.S. Open To Prove Sports Are the Perfect Playground for AI”
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