Dance routines and ‘tenniscore': how Wimbledon is seeking new fans online
'Demographic wise, I think it's no secret that Wimbledon is an event that's trying to attract younger audiences. I want to find a way to engage people who might not be on tennis pages,' said Will Giles, the managing editor of digital content for the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC).
In recent weeks, Wimbledon's 2.9 million TikTok followers have been served videos of Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff, the world Nos 1 and 2, performing a Centre Court dance routine to Everybody Dance Now, and the American actor Glen Powell intently following a Jannik Sinner rally.
Morgan Riddle, the fashion influencer girlfriend of Taylor Fritz, the world No 5, is also a regular contributor. The 27-year-old American most recently featured in a video about 'tenniscore' and how the championships are 'a global fashion spectacle'.
Wimbledon traditionalists may find some of the content jarring, but the club's official TikTok account has already more than doubled the views and engagements it received during last year's championships. By Wednesday it had achieved 200m cumulative views, a milestone only achieved on the second Wednesday last year.
'I think we're looking to provide an entry point to fans of all ages and having a presence on those platforms so that we are essentially broadening our audience as much as possible,' Giles said. 'This role involves tailoring the traditions and prestige of Wimbledon to the slightly less polished expectations of some of those platforms, so there's always finding that balance.'
As well as more than 150 posts on its TikTok account, Wimbledon has posted 200 times on Instagram. The account has grown by 300,000 followers to 6.5 million in the first week of the championships.
The accounts also post nostalgic moments from past tournaments and bite-size interviews with players such as Emma Raducanu, the British No 1, who two days ago was featured talking about the 22-year-old American singer Olivia Rodrigo's 'great heartbreak songs'.
Farzeen Ghorashy, the president of Overtime, a media group that has recently partnered with the Association of Tennis Professionals, said young people watched sport predominantly on social media. 'It has less to do with attention span, it has more to do with what are the native platforms that make sense for that audience.'
He said young people wanted to get to know the player as well as watch the sport. 'To be a fan of a sport means more than just to watch it, you know, every now and then. The storylines exist even when the players are not hitting the ball back and forth. And if you don't have a show on Netflix or whatever, what is your opportunity to continue to tell those stories?
'I think social media is a really powerful way to continue that conversation when the balls aren't bouncing,' he said.
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