The sport wants to win over the next generation of fans through games, as popular titles among gamers are expected to lead to an increase in the number of people who follow the sport and watch it.
Players can use TopSpin 2K25 to find out how Spanish tennis sensation Carlos Alcaraz would have fought Andre Agassi in his prime. The latest edition of the popular video game series was released in April, more than a decade after the popular TopSpin 4. The game allows users to take on the shoes of tennis greats such as Roger Federer, Serena Williams or Pete Sampras. Novak Djokovic’s fans will have to wait, however, as he headlines rival game Tiebreak, which has the official backing of both the Professional Tennis Association and the Women’s Tennis Association, and will debut on consoles in August.
The release of the two new competing games indicates that tennis leaders are following the success of other sports to reach a huge global audience of young people through video games, who can then be converted into fans of real-life events. “For many consumers, our games are often the first contact they have with a sport,” said Bryce Yang, director of franchise and partnership strategy at 2K, the video game publisher behind the TopSpin series. “If consumers then go play tennis or watch tennis in real life, and we can play a part in increasing the awareness or engagement of the sport, then at the end of the day, that’s great for everyone involved.”
EA Sports FC is the most successful football franchise in gaming history, with over 150 million users worldwide proving this engagement factor. According to research conducted by the game’s maker, Electronic Arts, playing soccer on a computer increases the likelihood of someone buying a match ticket by 18 percent, and increases the likelihood of playing soccer by about a third.
The reason for the new game push of tennis is that the younger audience is increasingly disconnected from live sports on television. According to YouGov research published last year, less than a third of sports fans aged 18 to 24 watched a match live, compared to three quarters of those over 55. Many experts in the sports industry see the game as a vital tool for young people to become avid spectators. “I think those who have a strong sports title – either on mobile or console – and have an active presence can win big. We’re already seeing that,” says Gareth Balch, founder of consultancy Two Circles.
The International Tennis Federation, the Women’s Tennis Association and other sports organizations have previously collaborated with the highly successful mobile game Tennis Clash, which has already been downloaded more than 150 million times. Through these collaborations, the game itself offers new features during each Grand Slam tournament, such as allowing users to play on grass at Wimbledon but switch to blue hard courts at the start of the US Open. Players can win themed clothes, bags and tennis rackets in the game. During this year’s French Open, the best Tennis Clash players even competed for €5,000 in prize money at the Roland-Garros eSeries.
Three of the Grand Slams are already on Roblox, an online gaming platform popular with elementary school-aged children. More than 70 million people use it every day. Inside WimbleWorld, users can try out a variety of mini-games, such as mowing the lawn, hunting for treasures in the grounds of the All England Club, or meeting a cartoon avatar of former Wimbledon champion Andy Murray. It has attracted 17 million visitors since its launch in 2022.
AO Adventure was released on the Roblox platform during last year’s Australian Open and proved to be even more popular. It boasts over 19 million visits and a collaboration with Minecraft is coming soon. The US Open followed suit last year with its own Roblox game, Champions of the Court. “Every year we learn how to engage, excite, surprise and delight children,” says Usama Al-Qassab, Marketing and Commercial Director of the All England Club. “We’re building mini-worlds within those worlds. And that complements all the other work we do across live television, digital and other touchpoints.”
Tennis rights holders are targeting older children and teenagers on Fortnite, another gaming platform that has more than 500 million registered users worldwide. The Australian Open has partnered with Fortnite to host an annual $500,000 gaming tournament. During the AO Summer Smash, professional players compete in Fortnite’s signature “battle royale” format, in which they try to eliminate each other using weapons. Head-to-head matches will be streamed live worldwide on AO’s Twitch and YouTube channels, with players battling it out sitting on the court at Melbourne Park’s Rod Laver Arena.
“We recognized the potential of the game as a platform to connect with a younger, tech-savvy audience who are consuming sport and entertainment in innovative ways,” said Ridley Plummer, Tennis Australia’s senior manager of digital sales and meta-competitions. “The game also allows the AO brand to live year-round on platforms that exist 24/7, 365 days a year.” In Race to Wimbledon – which appeared in Fortnite last year – players must run, drive or fly across London to reach the All England Club while trying to outrun giant rolling tennis balls and strawberries. The US Open is launching its own mini-game on Fortnite later this year.
However, these new channels are not designed to be a significant direct source of revenue – online games are typically offered for free. Instead, the loftier goal is to help educate young people about tennis, its top stars and its most prestigious tournaments – in the hope of creating avid future fans who will participate or become involved in some way later. “The digital channel is an interface through which people are encouraged to watch the competitions.” Al-Qassab said. “We see them as a way to engage and create meaningful relationships where we can then strengthen engagement for many years to come.”
Source: sg.hu
