Wimbledon Aces India: Tournament Courts Cricket Fans in Key Expansion Strategy

New Delhi: Wimbledon is strategically targeting the vast Indian market by leveraging the nation's deep-rooted passion for cricket. Iconic cricketers like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Sachin Tendulkar have frequently graced the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club (AELTC), signaling the tournament's intent to expand its global footprint.

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

Image: Carlos Alcaraz celebrates his Wimbledon 2024 title.

Rohit Sharma's photograph on Wimbledon's official Instagram account garnered a staggering 4.5 million likes, marking their most engaging post to date. According to AELTC Chief Executive Sally Bolton, India and the US are key markets for expanding the historic brand.

Brendan Dinen, Head of Marketing at Wimbledon, spoke with TimesofIndia.com about this strategy: "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… So I think there's interesting ways to be able to bring that to life for audiences, so that they might want to come and watch it as well."

Wimbledon is actively seeking collaborations with the cricketing world. For instance, they partnered with an Indian social media influencer, providing them with a unique experience: attending a Test match at Lord's followed by an afternoon at the Wimbledon Championships. Additionally, Star Sports, Wimbledon's broadcast partner, created a tennis-cricket crossover trailer that aired during the IPL.

Despite its prestige, Wimbledon recognizes the potential for further growth. Last year, the tournament achieved 60-70 million engagements across broadcast and social media platforms. With a potential audience of over a billion in India, there's significant scope for expansion, particularly among the country's young population.

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)

Image: Carlos Alcaraz prepares for Wimbledon 2025.

Dinen emphasized the importance of younger audiences: "Younger audiences and audiences of the future are crucial to us. It's clear in the activity that we focus on and our content strategy, whether that's for Instagram, YouTube and the sort of content we create... India is a sport loving country. Obviously, cricket is king, but Wimbledon is also a broad mainstream event. So there's certainly an opportunity to engage wider audiences, not just younger audiences, but those are really integral and important to our plans."

To foster a stronger connection with the Indian audience, Wimbledon aims to host events in India. While the monsoon season presents logistical challenges, the AELTC is collaborating with PVR INOX to broadcast the finals in theaters.

Another strategy involves inviting Indian cricket stars like Kohli, Tendulkar, and Rohit to the Royal Box, a coveted spot frequented by celebrities and royalty. While concrete plans are yet to materialize due to the Indian cricket team's tour of England, this remains a possibility.

Wimbledon is embracing technology to enhance the fan experience. They have replaced line judges with electronic line calling and are utilizing Artificial Intelligence (AI) on their app and website in partnership with IBM.

During live matches, the "Match Chat" assistant provides immediate responses and match analysis to fans' questions, allowing for enhanced engagement.

Dinen concluded: "We continue to embrace technology… 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."