Eighteen months ago, tennis fans were abuzz with anticipation upon learning of Netflix’s plan to unveil a documentary series akin to ‘Drive to Survive,’ spotlighting the ATP and WTA tours. However, the initial wave of enthusiasm soon receded, as critics emerged from the tennis community. They lamented the documentary’s shallow exploration of the sport, citing its narrow focus on a select few players, and indeed, sometimes the wrong players.
While personally finding merit in ‘Break Point’, I do acknowledge the validity of these critiques. Clearly, it became evident that the series failed to resonate with a broader sporting audience. Reflecting on this relative letdown, has encouraged me to ponder the future of tennis marketing. How might the sport appeal to a global audience while still providing fresh content for existing fans? How do we improve tennis marketing?
- Break Point 2.0.
The concept of Break Point wasn’t bad, but could definitely be refined. Instead of focusing on a individual player, or players over the course of the year, a more inclusive approach could involve opening two events per week to filming: one on the main ATP/WTA tour and one on the Challenger/ITF tour. Players would be informed in advance that participation in these events entails filming and interviews, giving them the choice to opt out if desired.
But if we really want to give the public a genuine look at our sport, we don’t stop at the players. Give us access to the coaches, tournament referees, media, volunteers, etc. That’s where a lot of the stories play out. By having two events filmed each week, it would show a distinct contrast and perspective between how tennis is run at the top tier, compared to the grind of the lower tier.
- Access to Tennis All Year Round
A dedicated tennis channel available to all countries would go a long way to increasing viewer numbers. While nations like the USA and Italy enjoy tennis-centric channels, others like Australia face a shortage of consistent coverage outside of the Australian Open period. Access to regular tennis broadcasts should not be confined to subscription-based services like Tennis TV or WTA TV.
If you want to watch the lower tier, you generally have to stream from the ATP/ITF website. While it’s better than nothing, imagine a world where a unified streaming channel offering comprehensive coverage of all tours in one simple platform. Let’s make tennis accessible to the masses.
- More ‘Off-Court’ Material
Tennis programming should venture beyond mere highlights packages and insider discussions. Emulating the accessibility seen in football shows worldwide, there should be greater emphasis on candid player interviews and interactions. The recent success of ATP’s social media skit underscores the appeal of showcasing players’ personalities. By providing more opportunities for players to engage with fans through various media platforms, tennis can strengthen its relevance, and stand out amongst other sports.
- Minimum Tournament Requirements
This is a big one for me, and something I have been championing for a long time. Tennis needs some minimum requirements for venues that host ATP/WTA events, including Challenger and top tier ITF events. Most businesses have some sort of KPI’s in place to ensure success and growth, but from watching some events around the globe, you’d be forgiven for thinking you’re watching an instalment of a local ‘Club Championships’.
Events need to have goals for measurements such as targeted crowd numbers, social media reach, etc. If it doesn’t hit the metrics required, the tournament re-locates the following year. I would rather see multiple tournaments if needed (especially on the lower tier), held at the same venue, if it is successful and exciting for players and fans. If fans are tuning in on tv, we want them to feel that they’re missing out on something by not attending. Sport in general, is a far better product with big crowds, and a humming atmosphere. Having attended Challengers and ITF events where a dozen people turn up, it can be a depressing vibe. Tournaments need to be held accountable.
- Social Media
Following on from the above point, every single event on ATP/Challenger tour should maintain an active social media presence. A quality social media account goes a long way to bringing fans along for the ride. Regular promotion before, and during the event, increases engagement, increases interest, and should result in bigger viewing numbers.
Platforms such as YouTube need to be used far better. Each event should have their own channel, where press conferences, and extended highlights (at a minimum), are available for the fans, at the earliest possible convenience. The Australian Open is excellent when it comes to this facet of the media, but other events leave a lot to be desired. Transcripts of press conferences should also be freely accessible on the tournament’s website, giving media and fans who aren’t able to physically attend, quick access to information.
- Player Access
I touched on this in previous points, but players need to be more accessible, and should be contractually obligated to contribute to event promotion and community outreach upon entering tournaments. This could include kids days, open press days, tv, etc. While the big events such as Slams and Masters don’t need much in the way of extra media coverage, the 250’s, and the lower tier events, could really benefit from more player interaction within the local community.
- Cheaper Tickets
We’re probably never going to see ticket prices come down for the big events, but when Challenger events are charging between $50 (AUD) and $100 for tickets, you’d be right to expect a decent product. Sadly, that’s not always the case. For those events that have struggled with crowds (especially early in the week), why not offer tickets for $10 or $20, and free for kids? As mentioned previously, the product is better with full stands, so let’s find a way to get the people in.
Tennis is in an interesting place right now. The big events are getting bigger than ever, which is great (to an extent….2-week Masters anyone?) But are we sitting on our hands a little when it comes to promoting, and building the sport for the generations ahead? We can definitely do more, and we should do more. Some of these ideas may already be in the works on some level, and there may be a whole lot more initiatives in the pipeline. But whatever steps are taken to improve the sport, let’s make sure it’s for the long-term good of the sport, the players, existing fans, and the future fans.
