Wimbledon Eyes India's Billion-Plus Market, Courts Cricket Fans for Growth

New Delhi: Wimbledon, the prestigious Grand Slam tennis tournament, is strategically targeting the Indian market, leveraging the nation's passion for sports, particularly cricket. Key figures like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Dinesh Karthik, and Sachin Tendulkar have been frequent attendees at the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC), signaling the tournament's intent to broaden its appeal.

Carlos Alcaraz of Spain celebrates Wimbledon 2024 title (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)

Rohit Sharma's photograph on Wimbledon's Instagram account generated a record-breaking 4.5 million likes, marking their most engaging post ever. This highlights the potential of tapping into the immense popularity of Indian cricketers to promote the tournament.

According to AELTC Chief Executive Sally Bolton, India and the US are primary target markets for expanding the Wimbledon brand. Brendan Dinen, Head of Marketing at Wimbledon, emphasized the importance of collaboration rather than competition with cricket.

"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. Both sports are rich in heritage," Dinen told TimesofIndia.com.

Wimbledon is actively engaging with the Indian audience through various initiatives:

• Influencer Collaboration: Partnering with an Indian social media influencer to provide a behind-the-scenes experience at both a Test match at Lord's and the Wimbledon Championships.
• Broadcast Partnership: Collaborating with Star Sports to create a tennis-cricket crossover trailer during the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Carlos Alcaraz of Spain serves during a practice session prior to The Championships Wimbledon 2025 at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)

Despite its global reputation, Wimbledon recognizes the potential for further growth, particularly within India's young population. The tournament garnered 60-70 million engagements last year, but with a potential audience of over a billion in India, the opportunities are vast.

Focusing on the Future: Engaging Younger Audiences

Wimbledon is placing significant emphasis on attracting younger audiences through targeted content strategies.

"Younger audiences and audiences of the future are crucial to us," Dinen stated. "Ensuring that we can have the content and different parts of the Championships, with tennis at the centre of that approach - whether that's through social media platforms or working with influencers and content creators - to be able to look to be able to engage those audiences."

Overcoming Challenges: Events and Technology

While organizers are keen on hosting events in India, the monsoon season poses a logistical challenge. As a workaround, the AELTC is partnering with PVR INOX to screen the finals in theaters.

Wimbledon also aims to leverage the social media presence of Indian cricket stars by inviting them to the Royal Box.

Wimbledon is embracing technology to enhance the fan experience. The tournament has partnered with IBM to implement Artificial Intelligence (AI) on its app and website. The "Match Chat" assistant provides fans with real-time answers and match analysis.

"We continue to embrace technology, and it sits at the heart of the balance between heritage and innovation," Dinen explained. "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."