Live From Wimbledon: AELTC'S Alex Willis on the Growing Role of Digital
16/07/2018
Monday, July 16, 2018 - 1:17 pm
Print This Story
Story Highlights
The Wimbledon Tennis Championships is an event steeped in traditions both on the courts and off. But, in an age when media distribution extends beyond linear TV, Alexandra Willis, head of communications, content, and digital, All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC), and her team find themselves re-evaluating how to leverage those traditions in new ways and on new platforms that can best reach current fans and find new ones.
Alex Willis oversees a digital team that helps old and new fans engage with the Wimbledon event in new ways.
There are different reasons people are interested in Wimbledon, says Willis. Some are interested because they are really big tennis fans through and through and they know the game inside out. For others, maybe they have just heard of Roger Federer and all they want to do is watch drop shots. So we have this breadth and have to adapt it not only to different countries but also to the level of interest.
The digital team oversees the Wimbledon website, an Apple TV app that allows AELTC to dip its toe into the world of OTT, and all of the social-media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, Pinterest, and even Giphy.com. The team has dedicated personnel for each platform, a step that helps prevent confusion concerning what content might have already been published on the platform and also ensures that what content is best-4suited for each platform.
You have to avoid the temptation to create one piece of content and then put it on all the platforms, says Willis. We have an external face to the world which exists through a combination of platforms, and we have to choose to put content on those platforms that we are proud of and are worthy of Wimbledon.
The digital efforts for Wimbledon ramped up a week ahead of the qualifying matches as temporary staffers joined the full-time team to create a team comprising 30 members plus an additional 10 who create content for social-media channels in Japan, China, Korea, India, and Thailand. The qualifying week is no longer a test period but, rather, a chance to give fans an opportunity to become even more invested in the tournament.
The thing this year that has been absolutely transformational for the digital team is access to all of the court feeds and cameras as Tom [Giles, broadcast technical manager, AELTC] has worked really hard to not just serve the broadcasters but also our own internal needs, says Willis. And that means that our social and digital output is much more integrated than it has been.
She adds that, in 2011, the club began to take a look at how to take its digital operations, including the look and feel of its website, to a new level.
We spent quite a lot of time saying what makes for a good website, and the number-one thing is live streaming; that is what sports fans want, she explains. Because of our broadcast rights, we can't stream continuously live, but we can create something else that is complementary and that people will want to watch.
That something else is the Wimbledon Channel, an offering that features reporters and ENG crews roaming the grounds and reporting from different locations. Previously, it was anchored to a studio on the roof of the Wimbledon broadcast center, but, this year, the focus was wherever the production team felt inspired.
We could show off the grounds and go to different locations, from the Wimbledon [ticket] queue in the morning to Henman Hill or the other end of the grounds, says Willis.
The Wimbledon Channel did offer a small bit of match coverage, having rights to show one game per match per hour. And distribution deals have been done in every country except Italy, Germany, Spain, and Austria.
We take the best of what the Wimbledon Channel does in live streaming and put it into Facebook or the Twitter timeline, says Willis. That gives social interaction and comments, and we are trying to give people the choice to engage wherever and whenever they can.
One example of the role digital played in creating a unique production was a 15-minute interview with Drew Feustel, a U.S. astronaut currently in the International Space Station. Feustel attended Wimbledon last year, and the idea was floated of having him take something from Wimbledon with him to the Space Station. Special coins were minted (the ones sent to the Station will be used at next year's tournament for coin flips), sent to NASA in Houston, and then to the Space Station with Feustel.
We were talking to his wife, and she mentioned that NASA does live events and that we should apply to do one, says Willis. It was so cool because you have Drew wearing a Wimbledon T-shirt with coins flying around him, and, even though there was a delay, you could see him reacting to the questions. It was pretty fascinating.
Continual Improvement
The use of IBM Watson continues to evolve at Wimbledon, with the digital team putting it to use in a meaningful way. Last year, Watson analyzed player movement, match data, and crowd noise to create 90-second highlights packages from the six main courts within minutes of the end of the match. This year, the technology took another step forward.
The great thing is, says Willis, the IBM sports team has been working with the Watson team to make the products fit the purpose.
For the AELTC highlights-editing team, use of IBM Augmented Intelligence greatly increased the ability to quickly turn around highlights and find the right shots. It allows the content team to worry about one less thing, she says.
Other digital features included NextVR's being onsite for the second year, creating
LINK: | https://www.sportsvideo.org/2018/07/16/live-from-wimbledon-alex-willis... |
See more stories from svg |
Most recent headlines
04/08/2024
Dalet Appoints Santiago Solanas as CEO to Lead Next Era of Growth and Innovation
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, is excited to announce Santiago Solanas as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO)....
03/06/2024
Dalet and Veritone Reach Agreement to Distribute, Transact and Monetize Media Archives
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, a...
28/04/2024
Mediahaus delivers the first SRT live-streaming sports production over 5G with URSA Broadcast G2
Mediahaus delivers the first SRT live-streaming sports production over 5G with U...
18/04/2024
First Look: Tom Durant Pritchard joins the cast of crime drama Miss Scarlet for its fifth series
Tom Durant Pritchard as Alexander Blake Thursday 18 April 2024 Tom Durant Prit...
18/04/2024
Alone Australia goes from strength to strength
Alone Australia goes from strength to strength 18 April, 2024 Media releases The program again delivers for SBS with significant uplifts in digital BVOD vi...
18/04/2024
L3Harris to Expand and Modernize Solid Rocket Motor Manufacturing in Virginia
ORANGE COUNTY, Va., April 18, 2024 - L3Harris Technologies [NYSE:LHX] has entered into an agreement with Orange County, Virginia, to fund the expansion and mode...
18/04/2024
Achieving Air Dominance by Advancing Imaging & Designating EO/IR Capabilities
L3Harris Sky Warden multi-mission aircraft, equipped with the WESCAM MX-15 and WESCAM MX-20 EO/IR sensor systems, was selected for USSOCOMs Armed Overwatch prog...
18/04/2024
US Space Force Extends Partnership with L3Harris to Enhance Space Domain Awareness
MELBOURNE, Fla., April 18, 2024 - L3Harris Technologies (NYSE:LHX) has received ...
18/04/2024
2024 NAB Show Attendance Topped 61,000
LAS VEGAS The National Association of Broadcasters is reporting that more than 61,000 people attended the 2024 NAB Show, where artificial intelligence and the c...
18/04/2024
How today's storage and memory decisions underpin future creativity
Ann Keefe, Regional Director - UK and Ireland at Kingston Technology, explains how storage and memory decisions made now are underpinning creativity in the futu...
18/04/2024
Krisha Marcano Announced as Dean of Theater for Boston Conservatory at Berklee
Krisha Marcano Announced as Dean of Theater for Boston Conservatory at Berklee The theater educator, choreographer, and performer will join Boston Conservator...
18/04/2024
Escape Studios obtains UKVI licence to support international students
The newly acquired UKVI licence enables Escape Studios to recruit and retain international students By Matthew Corrigan Published: April 18, 2024 The newl...
18/04/2024
NAB 2024 popular among first time visitors
Attendees from more than 163 countries were present, including 34 delegation buying groups from around the world By Matthew Corrigan Published: April 18, 202...
18/04/2024
Dyn Media and NEP Germany pioneer new frontier in remote...
In August 2023, Dyn Media launched as a new broadcaster in European sports, aimed at giving sports beyond football the exposure and viewership they deserve. The...
18/04/2024
Hitomi partners with ES Broadcast Hire for US rentals
Hitomi Broadcast, market leader in audio/video alignment and latency tools based in the UK, has signed a partnership deal with global broadcast rental specialis...
18/04/2024
Screen Australia and Dynamic Television announce new Scripted Initiative
18 04 2024 - Media release Screen Australia and Dynamic Television announce new Scripted Initiative Savage River Screen Australia and Los Angeles-based telev...
18/04/2024
Vislink's DragonFly V - The Company's Smallest-Ever Transmitter Debuted at NAB 2024
Vislink's DragonFly V - The Company's Smallest-Ever Transmitter Debuted ...
18/04/2024
MediaSilo to Offer Camera to Cloud with Atomos
MediaSilo to Offer Camera to Cloud with Atomos Brie Clayton April 17, 2024 0 Comments Integration between MediaSilo and Atomos Cloud Studio unlocking ...
18/04/2024
MultiDyne Updates its SilverBULLET Series to Serve More Fiber-Optic Links
MultiDyne Updates its SilverBULLET Series to Serve More Fiber-Optic Links Brie Clayton April 17, 2024 0 Comments MultiDyne Fiber Optic Solutions intro...
18/04/2024
Cinedeck Partners with Paramount to Revolutionize Content Delivery Process
Cinedeck Partners with Paramount to Revolutionize Content Delivery Process Brie Clayton April 17, 2024 0 Comments Cinedeck, a pioneer in integrated de...
18/04/2024
Unreal for video adding rocks and foliage
Unreal for video adding rocks and foliage Graham Quince April 17, 2024 0 Comments Welcome to my series on learning Unreal Engine for After Effects u...
18/04/2024
Best Budget Beginner-Friendly 4k Drone
Best Budget Beginner-Friendly 4k Drone Sean Alami April 17, 2024 0 Comments Potensic Atom 4k 3 axis Gimbal Drone, ideal drone for beginners. Some con...
18/04/2024
Race or Just Have Fun at Rocky Mount Mills for a Good Cause, Not Your Run of the Mill 5K
Rocky Mount Mills will be overflowing with runners, families and friends, all fo...
18/04/2024
Berklee's Yoon-Ji Lee Receives Guggenheim Fellowship
Berklee's Yoon-Ji Lee Receives Guggenheim Fellowship Lee, an assistant professor of composition, creates music based on unconventional and nonlinear struc...
18/04/2024
Ben Sherwood, Former ABC President, Named CEO at The Daily Beast
Ben Sherwood, former president of Disney ABC Television Group, has been named CEO and publisher at The Daily Beast. Joanna Coles, former chief content officer a...
18/04/2024
Ping Pong for the Masses: Bringing an Old Sport to a Brand New Audience With World Table Tennis
Ping pong for the masses: Bringing an old sport to a brand new audience with Wor...
18/04/2024
Fanatical Fans: IMG on Bringing the World of Table Tennis to a New Global Audience for WTT
Fanatical fans: IMG on bringing the world of table tennis to a new global audien...
18/04/2024
Netflix Follows Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders in New Series
Back to All News Netflix Follows Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders in New SeriesPlay Video Play Video Entertainment 18 April 2024 GlobalUnited States Link copie...
18/04/2024
Chinese-Language Revenge Thriller Series The Resurrected' Marks International Film Stars Shu Qi and Sinje Lee's Debut on Netflix
Back to All News Chinese-Language Revenge Thriller Series The Resurrected'...
18/04/2024
'The Witcher' Season 4 Begins Production in the UK and Netflix Announces Fifth and Final Season
Back to All News The Witcher Season 4 Begins Production in the UK and Netflix A...
18/04/2024
2024-04-18
Apple has reduced its overall greenhouse gas emissions by more than 55 percent since 2015, the company shared today in its 2024 Environmental Progress Report. T...
18/04/2024
Prison Journalism: April's experiences of black boudoir
Prison Journalism: April's experiences of black boudoirThabo Mthembu was incarcerated in Pollsmoor Prison from 2014 to 2019. Read Thabo's story by Tha...
18/04/2024
Prison Journalism: Can gangsterism and violence be reduced in prison?
Prison Journalism: Can gangsterism and violence be reduced in prison?Dean Mashimbwe, a Zimbabwean migrant residing in Cape Town, was incarcerated at Pollsmoor C...
18/04/2024
Software-making music: How DJs are doing it
Software making music: How DJs are doing itSoftware plays a big part in music production, recording, and performances. Here's what DJs are using, and how yo...
18/04/2024
Tonight on House of Zwide: Zanele later blindsides an unwitting Faith into meeting with Zola
Tonight on House of Zwide: Zanele later blindsides an unwitting Faith into meeti...
18/04/2024
Debut author stuns with international bestselling thriller Anna O'
Debut author stuns with international bestselling thriller Anna O'Matthew Blake burst onto the book scene with his bestseller Anna O', a deliciously d...
18/04/2024
Up to No Good: No Rest for the Wicked' Early Access Launches on GeForce NOW
It's time to get a little wicked. Members can now stream No Rest for the Wicked from the cloud. It leads six new games joining the GeForce NOW library of m...
18/04/2024
Skeem Saam: Wednesday's episode, 17 April 2024 [video]
Skeem Saam: Wednesday's episode, 17 April 2024 [video]Missed an episode of Skeem Saam? No problem! Watch the latest episode of your favourite South African ...
18/04/2024
Watch: Trailers for the best Afrikaans movies ever made
Watch: Trailers for the best Afrikaans movies ever madeDon't know what to watch? Here are some of the best Afrikaans movie trailers ever made, including Too...
18/04/2024
Thales secures three major contracts to modernize the Portuguese railway infrastructure
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Thales alongside partners SISINT and CONECTICABO...
18/04/2024
RT Prime Time experiment reveals disturbing content recommended to 13 year old TikTok users in Ireland
In response to growing concerns raised regarding the adverse impact of TikTok co...
18/04/2024
Remembering Alf McCarthy and Larry Masterson
We were saddened to learn this morning of the passing of our friend and former colleague, Alf McCarthy who died yesterday. We remember Alf as a popular present...
18/04/2024
NVIDIA Honors Partners of the Year in Europe, Middle East, Africa
NVIDIA today recognized 18 partners in Europe, the Middle East and Africa for their achievements and commitment to driving AI adoption. The recipients were hon...
17/04/2024
Sundance Institute Launches RFI and RFP Process to Explore Host Locations for the Sundance Film Festival in 2027 and Beyond
Opening today, the exploration is aimed at selecting a location that will preser...
17/04/2024
Spotify's Michael Krause Talks Industry Trends Ahead of Our Music and Podcasting Summits in Germany
On April 18 and 19, experts from across the audio industry-including artists, pu...
17/04/2024
Spotify Brings Entrepreneurs and Trailblazers Together to Talk the Future of Tech in the UK
With its particular combination of talent, ambition, culture, and, of course, wo...
17/04/2024
NextGen Partners With Howard University Professor Nikole Hannah-Jones on Student Podcasting Course
At Spotify, we want to equip student creators with the tools and resources neede...
17/04/2024
Strengthening Australian Industry Capability Through Sovereign Sustainment Support
L3Harris Communications Australia Field Service support continues to grow with a...
17/04/2024
L3Harris Team Aligns 10 Mirrors for NASA's Roman Telescope
An optical technician lays on a diving board suspended between NASAs Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescopes primary and secondary mirrors. The photo is a projected ...