WEBVTT - An AI advantage for the US Open 0:00:03.360 --> 0:00:06.880 Hello, Hello, Welcome to Smart Talks with IBM, a podcast 0:00:06.880 --> 0:00:12.600 from Pushkin Industries, iHeartRadio and IBM. I'm Malcolm Gladwell. This season, 0:00:12.680 --> 0:00:15.840 we're diving back into the world of artificial intelligence, but 0:00:15.960 --> 0:00:21.040 with a focus on the powerful concept of open its possibilities, implications, 0:00:21.079 --> 0:00:24.639 and misconceptions. We'll look at openness from a variety of 0:00:24.640 --> 0:00:28.600 angles and explore how the concept is already reshaping industries, 0:00:29.000 --> 0:00:32.440 ways of doing business and our very notion of what's possible. 0:00:34.200 --> 0:00:38.479 I'm particularly excited for today's guest, Brian Ryerson. He's Senior 0:00:38.520 --> 0:00:43.080 Director of Digital Strategy at the US Tennis Association, helping 0:00:43.120 --> 0:00:45.600 to oversee one of the most iconic events in the 0:00:45.600 --> 0:00:49.600 world of sports, the US Open. Brian sat down with 0:00:49.600 --> 0:00:54.320 Pushkin's own Jacob Goldstein, host of the podcast What's Your Problem. 0:00:54.360 --> 0:00:57.600 A veteran business journalist, Jacob has reported for The Wall 0:00:57.600 --> 0:01:00.960 Street Journal, the Miami Herald, and was a longtime host 0:01:01.040 --> 0:01:05.360 of the NPR program Planet Money. IBM has been the 0:01:05.400 --> 0:01:09.560 official technology partner of the US Tennis Association for more 0:01:09.640 --> 0:01:13.839 than thirty years, and the more recent evolution into generative 0:01:13.880 --> 0:01:18.680 AI has enhanced the world class digital experiences that help 0:01:18.760 --> 0:01:21.959 more than fifteen million fans from all over the world 0:01:22.319 --> 0:01:26.319 enjoy the US Open Tennis Championships. In this episode, we 0:01:26.400 --> 0:01:30.399 will explore how generative AI is being used to generate 0:01:30.520 --> 0:01:35.560 match insights, spoken commentary for match highlights, and postmatch summaries 0:01:35.640 --> 0:01:38.640 at scale for fans to enjoy through the US Open 0:01:38.640 --> 0:01:43.080 app and website. We'll explore how these AI solutions enable 0:01:43.160 --> 0:01:46.600 the editorial team to cover more of the tournament than 0:01:46.680 --> 0:01:50.800 ever before, bringing fans even closer to the game they love, 0:01:51.200 --> 0:01:53.680 and we'll learn more about one of the engines behind 0:01:53.760 --> 0:01:58.440 this AI powered content creation, a large language model from 0:01:58.480 --> 0:02:02.480 the IBM Granite family, which is trained and maintained using 0:02:02.520 --> 0:02:07.280 the wantonex AI and data platform. Okay, let's dive in. 0:02:08.560 --> 0:02:09.640 Brian, welcome to the show. 0:02:09.880 --> 0:02:11.320 Thanks for having me. I'm excited to be here. 0:02:11.720 --> 0:02:13.240 Can you say your name and your job. 0:02:13.600 --> 0:02:16.960 Yeah, I'm Brian Ryerson. I'm senior director of Digital Strategy 0:02:16.960 --> 0:02:17.679 at the USTA. 0:02:18.040 --> 0:02:20.400 Some question, what's the USTA. 0:02:20.200 --> 0:02:22.359 The US Tennis Association. 0:02:22.680 --> 0:02:24.639 And tell me about the USTA, Like. 0:02:24.720 --> 0:02:27.480 What is it? Yeah? So, the USTA is the governing 0:02:27.560 --> 0:02:30.960 body of tennis in the US. Or mission is to 0:02:31.000 --> 0:02:34.720 grow the sport of tennis across the US at all levels. Really, 0:02:34.919 --> 0:02:36.760 I would say we're more like a health and wellness 0:02:36.800 --> 0:02:39.160 company where tennis is the means to health and wellness. 0:02:39.600 --> 0:02:42.000 And then the US Open is kind of our tenth 0:02:42.040 --> 0:02:44.919 pole event that happens everyear in Flushing Meadows and is 0:02:44.960 --> 0:02:47.160 really our chance to showcase the support of tennis at 0:02:47.160 --> 0:02:49.399 its highest level to fans all around the world. 0:02:49.560 --> 0:02:51.720 Yeah, I mean the US Open. I assume most people 0:02:51.800 --> 0:02:53.920 know this, but it's Grand Slam. It's one of the 0:02:54.000 --> 0:02:57.040 what four biggest tennis tournaments in the world. 0:02:57.160 --> 0:03:00.400 Yes, yeah, every year, we especially the past couple of years, 0:03:00.440 --> 0:03:03.680 we've seen immense growth and you know, we are very 0:03:03.800 --> 0:03:05.840 hopeful this year and our big goals have over a 0:03:05.840 --> 0:03:08.240 million fans on site during the three week window this year, 0:03:08.280 --> 0:03:10.480 so it's an amazing event. I always say it's a 0:03:10.480 --> 0:03:13.359 food and wine festival where tennis is the main attraction 0:03:13.760 --> 0:03:16.000 and it's a really fun, unique atmosphere. 0:03:16.680 --> 0:03:19.000 How did you get into the tennis business. 0:03:18.680 --> 0:03:21.400 It's a great question. It's not where I thought i'd 0:03:21.440 --> 0:03:23.880 end up for especially being there for fourteen years. So 0:03:24.040 --> 0:03:27.440 I was a marketing and technology major in school, and 0:03:28.120 --> 0:03:30.720 I also played college lacrosse and sports was always a 0:03:30.720 --> 0:03:32.359 big part of my life and always wanted to be 0:03:32.440 --> 0:03:34.840 in the sports and entertainment world. I'm here from the 0:03:34.880 --> 0:03:36.400 New York area. This is where I grew up. So 0:03:36.440 --> 0:03:38.920 I moved back home and had a few friends who 0:03:38.920 --> 0:03:41.560 worked there, and I started out more on the number 0:03:41.640 --> 0:03:43.880 side of things and really digital analytics. It was really 0:03:43.880 --> 0:03:47.440 the start of when Facebook and Twitter is just starting 0:03:47.480 --> 0:03:50.320 and digital marketing and all of that. And you know, 0:03:50.360 --> 0:03:52.520 I went to my first year so Open not really 0:03:52.600 --> 0:03:55.920 knowing what to expect, and again, I think the atmosphere 0:03:56.000 --> 0:03:58.320 kind of captivated me and hooked me in. And I've 0:03:58.360 --> 0:03:59.600 been there now fourteen years. 0:04:00.080 --> 0:04:04.280 And so your title is Digital Director. What does that mean? 0:04:04.320 --> 0:04:04.920 What's your job? 0:04:05.160 --> 0:04:08.160 Yeah, so it's an interesting one because it's tough to 0:04:08.240 --> 0:04:10.760 explain to folks who are not in the weeds on 0:04:10.840 --> 0:04:13.240 all things US open or even in the sports world. 0:04:13.240 --> 0:04:16.960 But really I oversee all of our consumer facing digital property. 0:04:17.080 --> 0:04:19.599 So that's the us open dot org, our website built 0:04:19.600 --> 0:04:22.440 by IBM, as well as our mobile app. I oversee 0:04:22.480 --> 0:04:27.520 our content strategy, our sponsorship integrations. So really anything consumer 0:04:27.600 --> 0:04:30.640 facing that happens on the web is under my purview. 0:04:30.920 --> 0:04:33.719 Even some of our new platform extensions and gaming and 0:04:33.760 --> 0:04:37.000 things like that. Anything that you can physically interact with 0:04:37.360 --> 0:04:38.800 is kind of under my purview. 0:04:39.520 --> 0:04:43.360 And so you've been there now for fourteen ISSU years, 0:04:43.560 --> 0:04:47.160 which in the digital world is a long time. How 0:04:47.200 --> 0:04:51.560 has that sort of digital experience of sports changed over 0:04:51.600 --> 0:04:52.080 that time. 0:04:52.320 --> 0:04:55.880 Yeah, it's obviously grown digital now, is what we say 0:04:55.880 --> 0:04:58.000 and what my team says. It's the number one way 0:04:58.040 --> 0:05:00.320 to engage with fans that can't make make it to 0:05:00.360 --> 0:05:02.160 the event, as well as those fans who are at 0:05:02.160 --> 0:05:03.760 the event, and how to enrich their stay. So it's 0:05:03.760 --> 0:05:07.359 really kind of you're tackling multiple fan personas. It's the 0:05:07.640 --> 0:05:11.200 international fan who's staying up late to watch in other countries, 0:05:11.240 --> 0:05:13.919 to the fan here who's maybe watching on broadcasts, and 0:05:13.960 --> 0:05:16.160 we go on in a company and enrich that broadcast of 0:05:16.279 --> 0:05:18.560 new stats and insights to the on site fan who 0:05:18.640 --> 0:05:20.839 bought a ticket and maybe doesn't know what match is 0:05:20.839 --> 0:05:23.640 happening on what court. We do have twenty plus courts 0:05:23.680 --> 0:05:26.000 happening at a time with all different matches, so we 0:05:26.040 --> 0:05:29.240 really try to help all fans navigate the US Open 0:05:29.240 --> 0:05:30.200 the best way possible. 0:05:30.560 --> 0:05:32.680 And so, like, what are some of the sort of 0:05:32.720 --> 0:05:34.680 problems you're trying to solve what are some of the 0:05:34.720 --> 0:05:36.040 hard things about your job? 0:05:36.320 --> 0:05:40.440 Yeah, obviously technology changes at a rapid pace, right, So 0:05:40.520 --> 0:05:42.400 I think part of it is how do we stay 0:05:42.400 --> 0:05:44.560 on the forefront of that, and how do we do 0:05:44.600 --> 0:05:46.720 that in the best way and make the best fan 0:05:46.839 --> 0:05:50.320 experiences possible and the best user experience as possible. That's 0:05:50.360 --> 0:05:53.680 always kind of driving factor number one. Then number two, 0:05:53.720 --> 0:05:57.320 it's understanding and listening to our fans and what kind 0:05:57.360 --> 0:05:59.520 of content they want. You hear me talk a lot 0:05:59.520 --> 0:06:02.040 about storytelling. I feel like there's a lot of storytelling 0:06:02.120 --> 0:06:04.039 that happens around the years open that really really want 0:06:04.080 --> 0:06:07.080 to bring to fans, and that can be as simple 0:06:07.120 --> 0:06:10.400 as storytelling of what's happening today and what you should 0:06:10.440 --> 0:06:13.760 be watching too. Maybe it's your favorite players and what's 0:06:13.800 --> 0:06:17.359 going on behind the scenes with them, to even introducing 0:06:17.560 --> 0:06:20.320 I want to say, the casual fans to who they 0:06:20.360 --> 0:06:22.800 should be watching, why they should follow certain players, and 0:06:22.839 --> 0:06:25.720 more bringing that player's story to life. Yeah. 0:06:25.760 --> 0:06:28.000 I mean, I feel like almost the whole point of 0:06:28.040 --> 0:06:31.280 sports is to create stories for us to follow, right, 0:06:31.400 --> 0:06:33.760 Like they're engineered to be stories. 0:06:33.800 --> 0:06:34.720 It's exactly this. 0:06:34.720 --> 0:06:36.920 Thing is happening in front of you and there are 0:06:36.920 --> 0:06:40.600 two antagonists and the stakes are high, and you don't 0:06:40.640 --> 0:06:42.520 know how it's going to end, Like it's built to 0:06:42.560 --> 0:06:43.279 be a story. 0:06:43.520 --> 0:06:45.760 Yeah, and that's the main challenge of the job is 0:06:45.760 --> 0:06:48.560 you can plan, plan, plan, but once you get on 0:06:48.680 --> 0:06:50.599 two players on court and you don't know what that 0:06:50.640 --> 0:06:52.760 outcome is going to be, it's now sitting and waiting 0:06:52.800 --> 0:06:55.200 and watching and you become a fan yourself. And then 0:06:55.240 --> 0:06:58.640 it's how do you really captivate that story and how 0:06:58.680 --> 0:07:01.120 do you narrate it? How do you like translate up 0:07:01.160 --> 0:07:02.000 to fans. 0:07:01.800 --> 0:07:03.240 And it's like you kind of have to do it 0:07:03.279 --> 0:07:05.320 in real time, right, Like the whole point of sports 0:07:05.360 --> 0:07:06.279 is you don't know what's going to. 0:07:06.279 --> 0:07:09.200 Happen exactly, and that's the excitement. And it's also there's 0:07:09.240 --> 0:07:11.120 so many different types of fans. You know, there's the 0:07:11.720 --> 0:07:13.800 fans who want a lot of enriched data and their 0:07:13.880 --> 0:07:16.040 tennis nerds for lack of better of saying it, and 0:07:16.040 --> 0:07:18.920 that they really want to dive deep into the intricacies 0:07:18.960 --> 0:07:21.440 of the game, versus the casual fan who maybe just 0:07:21.440 --> 0:07:23.520 wants more of this high level storyline of what does 0:07:23.560 --> 0:07:26.920 this mean? Why is it important? So it's really trying 0:07:26.960 --> 0:07:29.280 to figure out how to deliver that at scale and 0:07:29.560 --> 0:07:32.120 really help fans get what they're looking for and the 0:07:32.120 --> 0:07:33.400 type of content they're looking for. 0:07:33.720 --> 0:07:36.960 So, are there specific examples of, you know, how fan 0:07:37.040 --> 0:07:41.560 feedback has led to specific features digital features you build. 0:07:41.960 --> 0:07:45.000 Are there, like particularly popular features you've come up with, Like, 0:07:45.080 --> 0:07:46.120 what are some specifics? 0:07:46.240 --> 0:07:48.800 Yeah, some low hanging fruit type things that came from 0:07:48.800 --> 0:07:52.200 fan feedback. Is simple things sometimes like managing time zones 0:07:52.200 --> 0:07:53.480 and when matches start. 0:07:53.520 --> 0:07:57.080 A persistent problem where those of us can work across. 0:07:56.800 --> 0:08:00.960 Times exactly, and we do have like a twenty plus 0:08:01.000 --> 0:08:03.480 courts happening at a time, so it's a lot to follow, 0:08:03.520 --> 0:08:05.960 and how do you translate that to a fan whether 0:08:06.000 --> 0:08:08.560 it's to their native language or to their time zone 0:08:08.640 --> 0:08:10.840 or things like that. So that's one thing that came 0:08:10.840 --> 0:08:13.800 through fan feedback, and another one a three to five 0:08:13.880 --> 0:08:16.480 hour match, especially when you're having twenty plus of them 0:08:16.520 --> 0:08:18.680 happening at a time, is there's too much for one 0:08:18.720 --> 0:08:22.160 person to follow. So how do you start from an 0:08:22.280 --> 0:08:25.640 editorial perspective really helping with that storytelling and guiding a 0:08:25.680 --> 0:08:28.280 fan to like, all right, whether there's an upset about 0:08:28.280 --> 0:08:32.200 to happen, or here's your matches to watch or even 0:08:32.240 --> 0:08:33.959 some of the predictions we're starting to put in is 0:08:34.000 --> 0:08:36.000 we really want to guide the fan before a match, 0:08:36.360 --> 0:08:39.120 here's where you should tune in to even after a match, 0:08:39.160 --> 0:08:42.360 of here's what's happened, here's what's important. And we're really 0:08:42.400 --> 0:08:43.839 excited with some of the features we built in the 0:08:43.920 --> 0:08:46.640 last few years that I would say really helps us 0:08:46.679 --> 0:08:48.400 do that at more scale than what we were able 0:08:48.400 --> 0:08:50.920 to do with just writers following a match and covering 0:08:50.920 --> 0:08:51.720 every single match. 0:08:51.920 --> 0:08:54.199 Uh huh. So I want to talk a little bit 0:08:54.320 --> 0:09:00.480 about the partnership between IBM and the USTA. Tell me 0:09:00.480 --> 0:09:01.920 about the work you do together. 0:09:02.320 --> 0:09:05.560 So IBM is our official digital and technology partner and 0:09:05.640 --> 0:09:08.600 innovation partner of the US Open. They predate me. It's 0:09:08.640 --> 0:09:11.520 a thirty year partnership and it truly as a partnership. 0:09:11.559 --> 0:09:14.559 So I view the IBM consulting team as an extension 0:09:14.640 --> 0:09:18.120 of my USTA team, So we work with them year round. 0:09:18.400 --> 0:09:22.760 They design, develop and deliver the digital properties. They help 0:09:22.840 --> 0:09:25.520 us provide the tools to create content to do things 0:09:25.520 --> 0:09:27.960 at scale. They help us from stats and information and 0:09:28.280 --> 0:09:30.920 really help us push from an innovation standpoint to make 0:09:30.960 --> 0:09:33.240 sure that we are staying on that cutting edge of technology. 0:09:33.320 --> 0:09:37.800 So I would truly say it's much more than a sponsorship, 0:09:37.800 --> 0:09:40.559 where it's truly a partnership to deliver that fan experience. 0:09:41.000 --> 0:09:43.640 And so what are some of the specific things that 0:09:43.880 --> 0:09:45.040 you have done with IBM. 0:09:45.320 --> 0:09:49.480 Yeah, so, I mean there's countless ones to talk through. Obviously, 0:09:49.520 --> 0:09:52.080 they thirty years ago, they helped us build our first 0:09:52.160 --> 0:09:55.640 website and it's kind of grown from there over the 0:09:55.800 --> 0:09:57.920 past few years. I would say I think was twenty 0:09:57.960 --> 0:10:00.760 eighteen as we started AI Highlights. That was really when 0:10:01.120 --> 0:10:04.360 we were able to have all twenty matches going at 0:10:04.480 --> 0:10:07.640 a single time. We were able to quickly deliver succinct 0:10:07.679 --> 0:10:10.440 highlights to fans to our digital platform so they could 0:10:10.600 --> 0:10:12.280 see highlights for every single core. 0:10:12.960 --> 0:10:15.920 Is that video highlights? Is that tech summaries? What does 0:10:15.920 --> 0:10:16.360 that mean? 0:10:16.880 --> 0:10:19.360 At the time, it was video highlights, Okay, so it 0:10:19.400 --> 0:10:22.280 was really taking that three to five hour match, let's say, 0:10:22.320 --> 0:10:24.840 and cut it down to a three minute highlight that 0:10:24.920 --> 0:10:27.320 could show up within moments after a match, ending to 0:10:27.400 --> 0:10:29.840 our website and our mobile app, so fans could see 0:10:29.840 --> 0:10:31.520 that all around the world and really kind of get 0:10:31.559 --> 0:10:34.079 that three minute overview what happened in a match? 0:10:34.480 --> 0:10:37.360 And was that AI enabled. Was AI a piece of 0:10:37.760 --> 0:10:38.400 how to do that? 0:10:38.559 --> 0:10:41.520 It was it was probably our first foray into AI. 0:10:41.800 --> 0:10:45.280 Back twenty eighteen is relatively early. 0:10:45.640 --> 0:10:50.079 Yeah, exactly for tennis exactly. Yeah. It really I want 0:10:50.120 --> 0:10:54.400 to say, opened up our ability to one again storyteller, 0:10:54.440 --> 0:10:56.720 but attract new fans too. Is video has actually been 0:10:56.760 --> 0:10:59.640 our number one growth area since twenty eighteen. I think 0:11:00.080 --> 0:11:01.559 of that has to do with the scale of how 0:11:01.600 --> 0:11:02.960 we deliver that content. 0:11:02.960 --> 0:11:05.880 Using AI and being able to deliver the sort of 0:11:06.000 --> 0:11:09.240 video highlight reels at scale. 0:11:08.960 --> 0:11:11.559 Yeah, and do it quickly. Right. We've always had highlights, 0:11:11.559 --> 0:11:13.559 but it was a manual process where you had a 0:11:14.080 --> 0:11:17.280 video at or cutting through you know, a three hour match, 0:11:17.400 --> 0:11:19.679 selecting the right scene, stitching together. It would have to 0:11:19.760 --> 0:11:22.960 get voiced over, et cetera. We really have used AI 0:11:23.040 --> 0:11:24.640 to make it, I want to say, much more efficient 0:11:24.760 --> 0:11:27.760 and speed up that process and deliver it more quickly 0:11:27.760 --> 0:11:28.400 to our fans. 0:11:28.760 --> 0:11:30.679 I mean, it would be a bummer to get scooped 0:11:30.840 --> 0:11:33.920 by whatever NBC News or Yes Pen or whatever. I'm 0:11:33.920 --> 0:11:35.439 sure there are all your partners and you love them 0:11:35.520 --> 0:11:38.240 most likely obviously you want to have the video first, right, 0:11:38.280 --> 0:11:39.000 it's your match. 0:11:39.240 --> 0:11:41.720 Yeah, And I think It's also important to us as 0:11:41.800 --> 0:11:45.959 being the USTA is ensuring that it's not just you know, 0:11:46.120 --> 0:11:49.720 the main marquee players, that every player and all those 0:11:49.720 --> 0:11:53.200 storylines and that whether it's you know, the main singles, 0:11:53.280 --> 0:11:55.880 draw to our mixed doubles, et cetera. They all need 0:11:55.960 --> 0:11:58.400 highlights and they all have their own stories to tell, 0:11:58.440 --> 0:12:00.199 and how do we do that at scale? It was 0:12:00.240 --> 0:12:02.640 something that before we had that product was not something 0:12:02.679 --> 0:12:03.400 you were able to do. 0:12:03.840 --> 0:12:07.280 Great, So let's let's talk in some more detail about 0:12:07.320 --> 0:12:10.720 what you're working on. Let's start with the app. Tell 0:12:10.720 --> 0:12:13.760 me about the us Open app and the Companion website. 0:12:13.840 --> 0:12:16.080 Yeah. So, so I'll start with the app, and I 0:12:16.120 --> 0:12:19.439 feel like they serve similar needs, but they're a little 0:12:19.480 --> 0:12:22.760 different in their own respective manners. Is the app everybody 0:12:22.840 --> 0:12:24.560 has a phone in their hands at this point. The 0:12:24.600 --> 0:12:27.040 app is kind of their guide to when I say 0:12:27.040 --> 0:12:29.680 a million fans on site, we view the app as 0:12:29.720 --> 0:12:31.800 we want that to be their on site guide and 0:12:31.840 --> 0:12:33.240 Companion a million. 0:12:33.400 --> 0:12:36.080 Let's just pause on a million fans on site, right, 0:12:36.120 --> 0:12:39.839 because like a big professional whatever, an NFL game or 0:12:39.880 --> 0:12:43.360 something that's like one hundred thousand, this is ten x that. 0:12:43.720 --> 0:12:47.199 Yeah, and a three week window and a very succinct, tight, 0:12:47.280 --> 0:12:51.319 action packed window. There's a lot of action logistics. 0:12:51.400 --> 0:12:53.120 Okay, so keep going. 0:12:53.200 --> 0:12:56.000 So the app, you know, whether it's finding the schedules, 0:12:56.080 --> 0:12:58.960 the live scores, what's happening on court. That's really the 0:12:59.000 --> 0:13:01.640 focus point of the app app and what we're really 0:13:01.679 --> 0:13:04.240 focused on this year is how do we build in 0:13:04.280 --> 0:13:06.720 some of those match summaries into the app, into our 0:13:06.800 --> 0:13:10.200 Slam Tracker experience. So again, before match, that kind of 0:13:10.200 --> 0:13:12.440 match preview of here's maybe if you have a ticket, 0:13:12.480 --> 0:13:15.559 here's what to expect, here's you know are likely to win, 0:13:15.679 --> 0:13:18.160 who we are predicting, so you can kind of get 0:13:18.160 --> 0:13:21.520 some information heading in, and then after the match it's 0:13:21.559 --> 0:13:24.760 more of what just happened, what it means for the 0:13:25.040 --> 0:13:27.800 rest of the draw, who they're playing next, is this 0:13:27.880 --> 0:13:30.080 the first time this has happened, et cetera, and really 0:13:30.160 --> 0:13:33.199 enriching that experience as well. So the app is one 0:13:33.280 --> 0:13:35.600 your guide to what you should be watching, but also 0:13:35.640 --> 0:13:38.199 then giving you that insights and context to what's happening 0:13:38.240 --> 0:13:39.200 on that court as you're. 0:13:39.080 --> 0:13:42.720 Watching, like the commentator in your pocket exactly. So you 0:13:42.880 --> 0:13:45.480 used a phrase in there as if I already knew 0:13:45.480 --> 0:13:47.960 it and I love the phrase, but I want you 0:13:48.040 --> 0:13:51.000 to talk more about it. That phrase is slam Tracker. 0:13:51.200 --> 0:13:56.960 Yes, so slam Tracker is our long standing live scores. 0:13:57.000 --> 0:13:59.240 I want to say match Center. It is, okay, where 0:13:59.480 --> 0:14:02.200 every single data point, where every single match lives. And 0:14:02.240 --> 0:14:05.520 it really it helps showcase what's happening to match. I say, 0:14:05.520 --> 0:14:08.360 it's our broadcast companion. So if you're watching live, it's 0:14:08.360 --> 0:14:11.000 our in stadium companion. It's also the best thing to 0:14:11.200 --> 0:14:13.000 have if you aren't able to watch. 0:14:13.080 --> 0:14:14.840 And so, like, I'm on the app and there's a 0:14:14.880 --> 0:14:17.760 thing called slam Tracker, and it like taps slam Tracker. 0:14:17.800 --> 0:14:19.560 What do I see on my phone when I tap 0:14:19.600 --> 0:14:22.960 slam Tracker? You know, midday when the tournament's happening. 0:14:23.000 --> 0:14:24.880 So before match, that's where you get a lot of 0:14:24.880 --> 0:14:27.080 pre match content. That's where those live kind of our 0:14:27.120 --> 0:14:30.480 predictions are. Likelihood to win lives within that So likelihood 0:14:30.480 --> 0:14:33.080 to win essentially pulls in a bunch of data points. 0:14:33.120 --> 0:14:36.200 So pass matches, how many times these players have played 0:14:36.240 --> 0:14:38.920 each other against each other, Even some punditry and other 0:14:38.920 --> 0:14:41.720 written articles that maybe our editorial team put out and 0:14:41.800 --> 0:14:44.360 really kind of puts a prediction out there. 0:14:44.280 --> 0:14:46.400 And so it's just a percentage chance. 0:14:46.320 --> 0:14:49.400 Yes exactly, but it uses millions of data points to 0:14:49.440 --> 0:14:51.720 come up with that. Yes, so it really helps you 0:14:51.800 --> 0:14:54.760 kind of understand what you're getting into for that match. 0:14:55.120 --> 0:14:57.880 During a live match, it is every single point, so 0:14:58.240 --> 0:15:01.400 point by point scoring as well as in depth analysis 0:15:01.400 --> 0:15:04.320 in point commentary where also this year have a live 0:15:04.400 --> 0:15:07.360 visualization that accompanies that that will really help bring the 0:15:07.520 --> 0:15:09.880 match together. And what I mean by that is it 0:15:10.000 --> 0:15:13.240 uses our ball tracking technology to really showcase the match 0:15:13.560 --> 0:15:16.480 in near real time, so within seconds delay of where 0:15:16.520 --> 0:15:19.000 the ball is being hit, where the players are, and 0:15:19.040 --> 0:15:21.840 really bring a visualization to life and layered stats and 0:15:21.920 --> 0:15:22.640 data on top of it. 0:15:22.760 --> 0:15:24.640 Huh. If that's sort of like when I'm watching a 0:15:24.720 --> 0:15:27.480 match on TV and there's like a close call as 0:15:27.520 --> 0:15:29.120 the ball in or out and they do that thing 0:15:29.160 --> 0:15:31.160 where they kind of show a sort of video game 0:15:31.280 --> 0:15:33.400 version of where the ball landed. Does it look like that? 0:15:33.640 --> 0:15:36.360 It's like that before every single shot, So it's not 0:15:36.480 --> 0:15:38.960 just those close ones. It's our first foray to bring 0:15:39.000 --> 0:15:40.000 that match to life. 0:15:40.520 --> 0:15:42.360 Huh. And so what do I see on that kind 0:15:42.360 --> 0:15:44.520 of view that I don't see from whatever watching the video? 0:15:44.640 --> 0:15:47.320 Yeah? So one you'll be able just to see more 0:15:47.360 --> 0:15:50.520 of the ball trajectory and where the ball is being hit. 0:15:50.560 --> 0:15:52.840 But then you can also start layering things in stats 0:15:52.840 --> 0:15:55.360 and insights on top of that, So how many times 0:15:55.400 --> 0:15:58.520 has player a hit the ball on a certain baseline, 0:15:58.600 --> 0:16:01.560 how fast are they hitting it, maybe their serve percentage 0:16:01.560 --> 0:16:03.480 and a certain side of the court, etc. So you 0:16:03.520 --> 0:16:05.920 can really start layering in for the ones that really 0:16:05.960 --> 0:16:07.600 want to dive deep into the For. 0:16:07.560 --> 0:16:11.520 The nerds, it's for the information rich exactly. 0:16:11.560 --> 0:16:14.040 It's the strategy of tennis. It really should be an 0:16:14.120 --> 0:16:16.160 interesting way to slice and dice a match. 0:16:16.360 --> 0:16:17.200 Huh. 0:16:17.400 --> 0:16:20.720 It's remarkable how the USDA is leveraging AI to enhance 0:16:20.800 --> 0:16:26.080 fan engagement and deliver immersive experiences both on site and online. 0:16:26.480 --> 0:16:32.000 Brian's emphasis on storytelling really underscores the evolution of sports marketing. 0:16:32.640 --> 0:16:36.440 The slam Chakra feature particularly caught my attention. It's essentially 0:16:36.520 --> 0:16:39.800 bringing the excitement of a tennis match to life in 0:16:39.840 --> 0:16:44.040 your palm, moment by moment. As someone who appreciates the 0:16:44.120 --> 0:16:47.840 narrative intricacies of sports, I find it compelling how AI 0:16:47.960 --> 0:16:51.800 helps predict and analyze matches in real time. 0:16:52.840 --> 0:16:55.240 Tell me about the AI commentary feature. 0:16:55.440 --> 0:16:59.080 Yeah, I know, I mentioned AI highlights back in twenty eighteen. 0:16:59.160 --> 0:17:02.120 It's now progress for us. And again if we go 0:17:02.240 --> 0:17:05.200 back to before we had a highlights, to have a 0:17:05.240 --> 0:17:08.359 highlight ready for the site was a video editor cutting 0:17:08.359 --> 0:17:12.160 the highlight and getting voiced over and then being published aside, 0:17:12.200 --> 0:17:15.840 and it took probably an hour plus for that highlight 0:17:15.880 --> 0:17:19.520 to really be created. Now with AI commentary, not only 0:17:19.560 --> 0:17:22.679 are we creating and cutting the highlights using our AI technology, 0:17:22.720 --> 0:17:24.919 but it's now using all the data points that we 0:17:24.960 --> 0:17:27.200 have around the match, whether it's our live scoring data, 0:17:27.520 --> 0:17:30.919 our ball tra directory data, etc. And it's really creating 0:17:30.920 --> 0:17:34.439 a script that helped storytell around that match. That's all 0:17:34.520 --> 0:17:38.399 using Watson X technology and then using text to speech 0:17:38.480 --> 0:17:40.960 we're able to actually then create the commentary on top 0:17:41.000 --> 0:17:44.239 of that, which all happens now within minutes. So our 0:17:44.280 --> 0:17:47.160 team's able to now create fully voiced highlights for every 0:17:47.200 --> 0:17:50.399 men's and women's singles match to our site within minutes. 0:17:51.160 --> 0:17:53.679 So I know there's a new feature you're working on 0:17:53.720 --> 0:17:58.000 for this year called match reports. What are match reports? 0:17:58.320 --> 0:18:02.919 It's our ability to succsickly tell the story of a match, 0:18:03.400 --> 0:18:06.920 so everything happens in five hours within that match down 0:18:06.960 --> 0:18:10.880 to a couple paragraphs. That really helps a user understand 0:18:10.960 --> 0:18:14.560 or a fan understand what just happened. Again, some key 0:18:14.600 --> 0:18:18.159 stats what's upcoming really help us with that storytelling. In 0:18:18.200 --> 0:18:20.840 the past, when we have twenty two courts happening at 0:18:20.840 --> 0:18:23.040 a certain time, we would have to pick and choose 0:18:23.080 --> 0:18:25.560 which stories we think or which matches we think are 0:18:25.560 --> 0:18:27.600 going to have the best stories, and that's a really 0:18:27.600 --> 0:18:30.560 hard thing to predict from an editorial perspective. With our 0:18:30.600 --> 0:18:32.960 Match Reports now we'll be able to have full coverage 0:18:32.960 --> 0:18:34.920 of every single match during the main draw. 0:18:35.680 --> 0:18:38.280 So, of course I want to talk about jeneritive AI. 0:18:38.560 --> 0:18:41.399 How could we not talk about generative Of course, what 0:18:41.480 --> 0:18:42.840 are you working on with jenerative AI? 0:18:43.160 --> 0:18:45.560 So match Reports is the prime example of it. So 0:18:45.640 --> 0:18:48.760 Match Reports will be completely using Watson next genera of 0:18:48.760 --> 0:18:53.320 AI technology, and really, again to us, it's how can 0:18:53.359 --> 0:18:56.639 we do that storytelling at scale? Tennis is such a 0:18:56.720 --> 0:18:59.960 data rich sport. All sports have data, but tennis has 0:19:00.080 --> 0:19:02.200 a lot of shots and different shot types and ball 0:19:02.240 --> 0:19:06.040 trajectory and live scoring data and umpire chair data and 0:19:06.080 --> 0:19:10.160 crowd and all that factoring in jenera AI really helps 0:19:10.240 --> 0:19:13.119 us take some of that structured and unstructured data really 0:19:13.480 --> 0:19:16.960