The partnership between IBM and the All England Lawn Tennis Club runs year‑round, not just during the fortnight of The Championships. It centres on two headline‑grabbing features introduced at Wimbledon 2025: Match Chat and the enhanced Likelihood to Win tool.
IBM has been Wimbledon’s official technology partner since 1990 and works with the tournament all year via its IBM iX and consulting teams. They use the IBM Garage methodology, meeting twice annually to co‑create and iterate Wimbledon’s digital services.
Their goal is constant innovation that enhances fan engagement while preserving the tournament’s tradition and elegance.
At the heart of the tour was Match Chat, a real‑time AI assistant built on watsonx Orchestrate and trained with IBM’s Granite LLM to mirror Wimbledon’s unique editorial voice. Available via the official Wimbledon app and website, Match Chat responds to live prompts such as “Who has converted more break points?” or “Who is performing better?”.
Developed under a rigorous training regimen, Match Chat is closely monitored by the All England Club to ensure accuracy and tone. The AI’s responses are crafted to be contextually aware and stylistically consistent with the Wimbledon brand. This boosts the viewing experience during non-human commentary matches, expanding access to deeper insights.
Also introduced this year is the Likelihood to Win tool, which tracks player victory probability in near real time, updating after every point. Built on a foundation of machine learning models, logistic regression among them, it analyses player performance, form, and live match data to reflect shifting momentum.
These dynamic win‑probability estimates enrich the fan experience by visualising match swings as they happen. Live data integration offers immediate, data-driven narrative cues during tension‑filled rallies.
In previous years IBM added features like Catch Me Up and Draw Analysis, content services built with watsonx that provide match summaries, previews and personalised player insights. These tools handle both structured data (scores, rankings) and unstructured content, driving editorial efficiency and personalised fan experiences.
Wimbledon is just one of IBM’s flagship sporting partnerships. The company collaborates with Scuderia Ferrari, incorporating watsonx AI into fan apps that process a million data points per second, enhancing engagement for Ferrari’s 400 million global fans.
IBM also partners with The Masters (golf) using watsonx-powered “Hole Insights” to analyse over 170,000 shots and generate predictive commentary for each hole. More recently, IBM has extended AI features to the US Open tennis Slamtracker, covering wheelchair events and detailed recaps and worked with the Overwatch League, applying AI analytics for live esports fan engagement.
Across all these sports, IBM emphasises the use of hybrid cloud infrastructure, watsonx.ai, and watsonx.data, allowing scalable, real‑time insights. Design, development, and governance processes ensure models maintain brand tone, accuracy, and compliance.
IBM’s continued investment in elite sporting partnerships signals a broader strategic focus: showcasing watsonx’s capability to transform data into personalised, immersive experiences. The AI deployments across Wimbledon, Ferrari, The Masters, and esports, demonstrate real-world business value, workflow efficiency, and fan loyalty.
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