Live From the US Open: Single App Serves Up Everything the Fan Would Want IBMs Watson AI plays key role, as does a solid team of social-media and content-creation pros By Ken Kerschbaumer, Editorial Director
Tuesday, September 5, 2017 - 4:01 pm
Print This Story
Story Highlights
The US Open digital experience has been streamlined this year with one app that supports all the fan's needs, both onsite and offsite. It's part of an effort to strengthen the bond with tennis fans wherever they are.
It's really difficult to message to consumers to use this app when you are here and this app when you are not, says Kirsten Corio, managing director, ticketing and digital strategies, USTA. It's not about saving costs, development time, or resources. It's about wanting everyone to gain from having a singular US Open experience.
Kirsten Corio of the USTA says that a single app is the best approach to getting fans engaged.
It doesn't take a long time with the new app to see how it makes a difference for fans in the stands and at home. It offers greater social-media integration, more highlights, and, thanks to a 360-degree camera, even offerings like live coverage of players warming up.
There were some questions about whether a live stream of practice would hurt our broadcast partners and owned-and-operated platforms. What we've learned is that it won't hurt them at all and, if anything, it drives interest, Corio points out. If you see how Roger Federer looks warming up, you are more likely to watch the match later. So that has been a big learning this year: more is better.
Onsite, however, is where the app shines, beginning with the use of digital tickets. Fans download the app to access their tickets and can forward tickets to friends or resell them. In addition, a new interactive map has filters for things like courts (to see live scoring), amenities, dining, shopping, and even attractions, offering descriptions and exact locations relative to where the user is standing.
The interactive map is what I am most proud of because it generates a pinpoint location of where you are on the grounds and then overlays other things on top of that, says Corio. The other cool thing about the map is that it is connected to the digital concierge, which makes use of IBM Watson intelligence.
Watson is used within the app to answer fan questions via digital concierge. The concept is simple: users ask questions, and Watson matches the question with the appropriate answer. The more questions that are asked and answered, the smarter Watson gets.
Last year, there were 50,000 questions, and we preprogrammed some of the questions and answers, says Corio. So Watson can look through the questions and answers and learn over time.
The digital concierge, however, does not mean the end of human interaction; it can connect the user to a real person. It is instead meant to streamline operations for the onsite support teams.
We haven't taken humans out of it, Corio explains, but, instead, make it complementary so we can ease the load on the command center and guest relations that have face-to-face interactions.
The other place where Watson is starting to shine is as a tool for video-highlights creators. Watson's artificial intelligence is used to create cognitive highlights that are not necessarily simply the last points of a game or a match point. Instead, Watson looks and listens to incoming video and audio feeds to determine exciting moments (for example, an exceptionally loud crowd reaction) and then offers the clip to an editor, who can then ready the clip for distribution.
Video producers and editors love it because it is an additional tool, says Corio. Last Wednesday, we had 87 matches. You need something like this to cover that many matches. And fans want content in real time, so you can't spend the time you used to in creating highlights.
The app also takes that content to the next level, delivering links of content directly to a fan's smartphone via push notifications on the lock screen.
If you follow a favorite player from a small country, adds Corio, you may be hard-pressed to find the highlights. We can deliver it to the fans.
The social-media team is also exploiting video assets and even livening them up with additional sound and graphics effects that can turn an ordinary highlight into an internet sensation. Corio attributes much of the improvement to Qianna Smith-Bruneteau, who was brought on as USTA director, social media and strategy.
Qianna brings so much creative energy, frequency, and sheer determination to get the best content out there in real time, says Corio. The social team is producing more and more live content like streaming practices, and the appetite from fans is insatiable. We are seeing metrics up 400%-600% on interactions compared with last year.
And then there is Fan Pass. A fan registers and is sent a QR code that is available through the app. Then, as the fan passes around the grounds, the QR code is scanned, earning badges that can help the fan win prizes like tickets, gift cards, and more.
All the new features are compelling fans to fire up their phones and interact with the US Open more than ever. And the challenge is that getting fans at an event addicted to using their phones to engage with the event puts a strain on two things: the Wi-Fi network and phone batteries. The former is a battle that can be hard to win: better Wi-Fi makes it easier for fans to use the network, which in turn increases the demands on the network. As for the second, the US Open once again is solving that problem with Charge and Watch : fans who have an iPhone 5 or later can pick up a small cradle that can charge their phone and allow them to watch up to three video feeds via RF delivery.
They don't have to
Most recent headlines
11/12/2025
Dalet, a leading provider of cloud-native, end-to-end media workflow solutions, ...
28/11/2025
Nadia Fall attends the 2025 Sundance Film Festival premiere of Brides at the Egyptian Theatre on January 24, 2025, in Park City, Utah. (Photo by Donyale West/...
28/11/2025
It's easy to ignore those little red update available badges. But when it ...
28/11/2025
WASHINGTON Federal Communications Commission has released a tentative agenda for the December Open Commission Meeting scheduled for Thursday, December 18, 2025 ...
28/11/2025
The Professional Fighters League is looking to super-serve fans of mixed martial...
28/11/2025
Fubo has released in beta on select Roku devices a new feature that lets users display up to four simultaneous streams at once....
28/11/2025
The WNBA playoffs and Week 4 of the NFL regular season highlight the list of live sports events airing on television this weekend....
28/11/2025
The 32nd class of honorees to the B+C Hall of Fame took to the stage at New York's Ziegfeld Ballroom on September 26 for a gala induction event. Click below...
28/11/2025
We hold in our hands the very last Next Text for Next TV, the weekly back-and-fo...
28/11/2025
DirecTV said it made a deal with EchoStar to buy EchoStar's video businesses, including satellite-TV provider Dish TV and virtual MVPD Sling TV, for $1 plus...
28/11/2025
The Broadcasting+Cable Hall of Fame, the premier industry event paying tribute to the influencers, innovators and shining lights of broadcast, cable and streami...
28/11/2025
Friday 28 November 2025
Sky Sports x Slawn drop limited-edition football jersey...
28/11/2025
Rohde & Schwarz shows resilience in a challenging environment, revenue exceeds t...
28/11/2025
Unwrapped: The Toy Show Appeal - airing this Sunday on RT One and RT Player- s...
27/11/2025
LONDON Vizrt has added several AI-driven advanced features offering improved speed, intelligence and accuracy in the newest version of its media asset managemen...
27/11/2025
Prime Video has launched AI-powered video season recaps in a beta version for select English-language Prime Original series in the U.S., a move Amazon is callin...
27/11/2025
Back to All News
Netflix's Raat Akeli Hai: The Bansal Murders Marks a Grand...
27/11/2025
27 Nov 2025
GSMA brings M360 Eurasia 2026 to Samarkand in partnership with VEON...
27/11/2025
Tahar Rahim and Izuka Hoyle star in the gripping six-part Sky Original from Acad...
27/11/2025
Thursday 27 November 2025
Sky Arts Reveals the Nation's Greatest Basslines - and Queen Reign Supreme
The UK's most iconic basslines have been revealed...
27/11/2025
Back to All News
Stranger Things 5': Prepare for One Last Adventure With O...
27/11/2025
The media industry has a paradox at its core. It's an industry built on light, color and imagination, yet behind the scenes, it's powered by one of the ...
27/11/2025
Rating reflects rating progress across areas including policies, diversity & inclusion, health & safety and Net Zero leadership
Winchester, UK, 27 November 202...
27/11/2025
What are the industry standards for Retail Media? Kathryn explains that certification is based on the IAB Europe Retail Media Measurement Standards and the IAB ...
27/11/2025
World champion boxer and Irish sporting icon Katie Taylor will be in studio this...
27/11/2025
Roblox, one of the world's most popular online gaming platforms for primary ...
27/11/2025
Black Friday is leveling up. Get ready to score one of the biggest deals of the season - 50% off the first three months of a new GeForce NOW Ultimate membership...
26/11/2025
SVG Sit-Down: Prime Video EP Mike Muriano Previews Massive Black Friday Slate Fe...
26/11/2025
A cinematic snow sculpture at the 1995 Sundance Film Festival. Photo by Randall Michelson...
26/11/2025
Book podcasts are booming. On Spotify, you'll find everything from celebrity book clubs to deep dives with bestselling authors. And in markets where audiobo...
26/11/2025
Mumbai, November 24, 2025: In a first-of-its-kind initiative, JioStar, in collab...
26/11/2025
LONDON Factual content producer ITN Productions has launched a new low-latency IP gallery for news bulletins....
26/11/2025
MIAMI TelevisaUnivision said it struck a new multiyear distribution agreement with YouTube TV that includes distribution of TelevisaUnivision's U.S. network...
26/11/2025
OpenDrives, Inc., a leader in software-defined data storage and data services, today announced the launch of the Atlas Corporate Creative Solution. This new Atl...
26/11/2025
Disguise, the industry-leading company powering the world's biggest live performances, is partnering with pioneering LED wall manufacturer DVS to give atten...
26/11/2025
HighField AI, the pioneer in agentic and multimodal automation for broadcast and media production, today announced the expansion of its global channel partner n...
26/11/2025
As high-stakes Premier League fixtures approach and additional premium content launches, with MONO positioning themselves to dominate Thailand's sports stre...
26/11/2025
Hosting a wide variety of events from high-intensity NHL games to complex live music concerts and major entertainment productions, Montreal's 21,000 capacit...
26/11/2025
Vizrt, the leader in live production technology revolutionizing viewer engagement and experience, releases AI-driven advances focusing on speed, intelligence, a...
26/11/2025
ITN Productions, an award-winning factual content producer, today launched a new low-latency IP gallery for news bulletins. Responsible for delivering a leading...
26/11/2025
Ikegami reports ongoing advances throughout 2025 in developing and delivering coordinated television production solutions that maximize quality, versatility and...
26/11/2025
Following the Nov. 21 blackout of NBCUniversal channels on Fubo, the two sides have traded barbs about their inability to reach a new carriage deal....
26/11/2025
LONDON As TV sports rights become increasingly important for both broadcasters and streamers, Ampere Analysis predicts global investment in the genre will surpa...
26/11/2025
LOS ANGELES Vubiquity said it has achieved the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Media & Entertainment Competency as part of the AWS Partner Network (APN). This designa...
26/11/2025
WASHINGTON The Federal Communications Commission's Enforcement Bureau said it has entered into a consent decree with Comcast calling for the cable company t...
26/11/2025
Berklee Named to the Hollywood Reporters Top Music Schools List The publication highlights the college's screen scoring program, industry partnerships, and ...
26/11/2025
Back to All News
Animated Series Love Through a Prism' Casts New Light on ...
26/11/2025
Back to All News
NALIP Unveils Fifth Cohort of Director Incubator
Social Impact
26 November 2025
United States
Link copied to clipboard
The National Assoc...
26/11/2025
YouView Achieves Greenly Gold Certification for SustainabilityNov 26, 2025
YouView is proud to announce a Gold Certification award from Greenly for our perform...
Live From the US Open: Single App Serves Up Everything the Fan Would Want IBMs Watson AI plays key role, as does a solid team of social-media and content-creation pros By Ken Kerschbaumer, Editorial Director 
