Wimbledon Serves Up Cricket Strategy to Ace Indian Market

New Delhi: Wimbledon is strategically targeting the Indian market by leveraging the immense popularity of cricket in the country. The All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC), organizers of the Wimbledon Championships, have identified India and the United States as key regions for expanding their brand presence.

Figures like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Dinesh Karthik, and Sachin Tendulkar have been frequently spotted at the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC).

Carlos Alcaraz practices his serve before Wimbledon 2025.

Rohit Sharma's photograph on Wimbledon's Instagram account garnered a record-breaking 4.5 million likes, highlighting the crossover appeal.

Brendan Dinen, Head of Marketing at Wimbledon, explained the strategy in a conversation with TimesofIndia.com: "Cricket is much loved and certainly king for Indian audiences. So rather than trying to compete with that, I think it's about trying to find interesting ways to collaborate."

He emphasized the shared heritage of both sports, noting the ongoing England and India Test matches and the potential for creating engaging experiences for audiences.

Wimbledon is actively pursuing collaborations to bridge the gap between tennis and cricket. One initiative involves an Indian social media influencer who will experience a day at Lord's during a Test match and then visit the Wimbledon Championships. The influencer will document their experience to showcase the appeal of both sports.

The organization also partnered with Star Sports, their broadcast partner, to create a tennis-cricket crossover trailer that aired during the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Despite its prestige, Wimbledon acknowledges room for growth. Last year, the tournament had 60-70 million engagements across broadcast and social media platforms. With a potential audience of over a billion in India, there is significant scope for expansion, particularly among the younger demographic.

Carlos Alcaraz celebrates his Wimbledon 2024 title.

Dinen stated that younger audiences are crucial to Wimbledon's future. The content strategy focuses on platforms like Instagram and YouTube, aiming to engage younger fans through diverse content centered around tennis.

Wimbledon's strategy includes collaborations with influencers and content creators to reach wider audiences.

Organizers are exploring options for hosting events in India, but the monsoon season poses a challenge. As an alternative, they are partnering with PVR INOX to broadcast the finals in theaters.

Inviting Indian cricket stars to the Royal Box, alongside celebrities and royalty, is another tactic to leverage their social media influence. While no concrete plans are in place yet due to the Indian cricket team's tour of England, this remains a potential avenue.

Wimbledon embraces technology while preserving its traditions. It is incorporating Artificial Intelligence (AI) on its app and website, in coordination with IBM.

During live matches, the 'Match Chat' assistant answers fan questions using pre-written prompts or their own inquiries, providing immediate responses and match analysis.

Dinen concluded, "We continue to embrace technology, and it sits at the heart of the balance between heritage and innovation… We've brought experiences to life in places like Roblox. So we absolutely want to make sure we bring the brand and the Championships to life in new and interesting ways."