WEBVTT - Smart Talks with IBM: An AI advantage for the US Open 0:00:00.160 --> 0:00:02.840 Hey everyone, it's Robert and Joe here. Today we've got 0:00:02.880 --> 0:00:04.760 something a little bit different to share with you. It 0:00:04.840 --> 0:00:08.039 is a new season of the Smart Talks with IBM 0:00:08.160 --> 0:00:09.160 podcast series. 0:00:09.640 --> 0:00:11.639 Today we are witnessed to one of those rare moments 0:00:11.680 --> 0:00:14.400 in history, the rise of an innovative technology with the 0:00:14.400 --> 0:00:18.680 potential to radically transform business and society forever. The technology, 0:00:18.760 --> 0:00:22.200 of course, is artificial intelligence, and it's the central focus 0:00:22.239 --> 0:00:24.840 for this new season of Smart Talks with IBM. 0:00:25.320 --> 0:00:28.400 Join hosts from your favorite Pushkin podcasts as they talk 0:00:28.480 --> 0:00:31.680 with industry experts and leaders to explore how businesses can 0:00:31.720 --> 0:00:35.400 integrate AI into their workflows and help drive real change 0:00:35.400 --> 0:00:38.240 in this new era of AI. And of course, host 0:00:38.280 --> 0:00:40.479 Malcolm Gladwell will be there to guide you through the 0:00:40.479 --> 0:00:42.640 season and throw in his two cents as well. 0:00:43.120 --> 0:00:46.200 Look out for new episodes of Smart Talks with IBM 0:00:46.400 --> 0:00:49.559 every other week on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or 0:00:49.600 --> 0:00:53.360 wherever you get your podcasts, and learn more at IBM 0:00:53.479 --> 0:00:55.480 dot com slash smart talks. 0:00:57.160 --> 0:01:00.639 Hello, Hello, Welcome to Smart Talks with IBM, a podcast 0:01:00.640 --> 0:01:05.920 from Pushkin Industries, iHeartRadio and IBM. I'm Malcolm Gladwell. This 0:01:06.040 --> 0:01:09.160 season we're diving back into the world of artificial intelligence, 0:01:09.560 --> 0:01:12.400 but with a focus on the powerful concept of open 0:01:12.760 --> 0:01:17.800 its possibilities, implications, and misconceptions. We'll look at openness from 0:01:17.800 --> 0:01:20.760 a variety of angles and explore how the concept is 0:01:20.800 --> 0:01:24.680 already reshaping industries, ways of doing business, and our very 0:01:24.720 --> 0:01:29.960 notion of what's possible. I'm particularly excited for today's guest, 0:01:30.319 --> 0:01:34.440 Brian Ryerson. He's Senior Director of Digital Strategy at the 0:01:34.560 --> 0:01:38.080 US Tennis Association, helping to oversee one of the most 0:01:38.280 --> 0:01:41.520 iconic events in the world of sports, the US Open. 0:01:42.480 --> 0:01:45.840 Brian sat down with Pushkin's own Jacob Goldstein, host of 0:01:45.880 --> 0:01:50.320 the podcast What's Your Problem. A veteran business journalist, Jacob 0:01:50.320 --> 0:01:53.240 has reported for The Wall Street Journal, the Miami Herald, 0:01:53.440 --> 0:01:57.920 and was a longtime host of the NPR program Planet Money. 0:01:58.280 --> 0:02:01.600 IBM has been the official technology partner of the US 0:02:01.640 --> 0:02:05.800 Tennis Association for more than thirty years, and the more 0:02:05.840 --> 0:02:10.400 recent evolution into generative AI has enhanced the world class 0:02:10.440 --> 0:02:14.840 digital experiences that help more than fifteen million fans from 0:02:14.919 --> 0:02:18.480 all over the world enjoy the US Open Tennis Championships. 0:02:18.919 --> 0:02:22.880 In this episode, we will explore how generative AI is 0:02:22.919 --> 0:02:27.560 being used to generate match insights, spoken commentary for match highlights, 0:02:27.840 --> 0:02:31.640 and postmatch summaries at scale for fans to enjoy through 0:02:31.680 --> 0:02:35.040 the US Open app and website. We'll explore how these 0:02:35.080 --> 0:02:39.520 AI solutions enable the editorial team to cover more of 0:02:39.560 --> 0:02:43.760 the tournament than ever before, bringing fans even closer to 0:02:43.840 --> 0:02:46.160 the game they love, and will learn more about one 0:02:46.200 --> 0:02:50.360 of the engines behind this AI powered content creation, a 0:02:50.440 --> 0:02:54.160 large language model from the ib M Granite family, which 0:02:54.200 --> 0:02:59.560 is trained and maintained using the watsonex AI and data platform. Okay, 0:03:00.360 --> 0:03:01.040 let's dive in. 0:03:02.320 --> 0:03:03.400 Brian, Welcome to the show. 0:03:03.639 --> 0:03:05.079 Thanks for having me. I'm excited to be here. 0:03:05.480 --> 0:03:07.000 Can you say your name and your job? 0:03:07.400 --> 0:03:10.720 Yeah, I'm Brian Ryerson. I'm Senior director of Digital Strategy 0:03:10.720 --> 0:03:11.440 at the USTA. 0:03:11.800 --> 0:03:14.160 Some question, what's the USTA. 0:03:13.960 --> 0:03:16.080 The US Tennis Association. 0:03:16.440 --> 0:03:19.000 And tell me about the USTA, Like, what is it? 0:03:19.440 --> 0:03:22.000 Yeah? So the USTA is the governing body of tennis 0:03:22.000 --> 0:03:25.360 in the US. Or mission is to grow the sport 0:03:25.400 --> 0:03:28.720 of tennis across the US at all levels. Really, I 0:03:28.760 --> 0:03:30.840 would say we're more like a health and wellness company 0:03:30.880 --> 0:03:33.480 where tennis is the means to health and wellness. And 0:03:33.520 --> 0:03:36.040 then the US Open is kind of our tenth pole 0:03:36.080 --> 0:03:38.960 event that happens everyear and Flushing Meadows and is really 0:03:38.960 --> 0:03:41.040 our chance to showcase the support of tennis at its 0:03:41.120 --> 0:03:43.240 highest level to fans all around the world. 0:03:43.320 --> 0:03:45.480 Yeah, I mean the US Open. I assume most people 0:03:45.560 --> 0:03:47.680 know this, but it's Grand Slam. It's one of the 0:03:47.760 --> 0:03:50.800 what four biggest tennis tournaments in the world. 0:03:50.920 --> 0:03:54.160 Yes, yeah, every year, we especially the past couple of years, 0:03:54.160 --> 0:03:57.480 we've seen immense growth and you know, we are very 0:03:57.560 --> 0:03:59.480 hopeful this year and our big goals that have over 0:03:59.480 --> 0:04:01.680 a million fires on site during the three week window 0:04:01.720 --> 0:04:04.000 this year, So it's an amazing event. I always say 0:04:04.040 --> 0:04:06.320 it's a food and wine festival where tennis is the 0:04:06.360 --> 0:04:09.760 main attraction and it's a really fun, unique atmosphere. 0:04:10.440 --> 0:04:12.640 How did you get into the tennis business. 0:04:12.440 --> 0:04:15.160 It's a great question. It's not where I thought i'd 0:04:15.240 --> 0:04:17.640 end up for especially being there for fourteen years. So 0:04:17.839 --> 0:04:21.200 I was a marketing and technology major in school, and 0:04:21.880 --> 0:04:24.480 I also played college lacrosse and sports was always a 0:04:24.480 --> 0:04:26.160 big part of my life and always wanted to be 0:04:26.200 --> 0:04:28.600 in the sports and entertainment world. I'm here from the 0:04:28.640 --> 0:04:30.200 New York area. This is where I grew up so 0:04:30.240 --> 0:04:32.680 I moved back home and had a few friends who 0:04:32.720 --> 0:04:35.320 worked there, and I started out more on the number 0:04:35.400 --> 0:04:37.640 side of things and really digital analytics. It was really 0:04:37.680 --> 0:04:41.240 the start of when Facebook and Twitter is just starting 0:04:41.240 --> 0:04:44.080 and digital marketing and all of that. And you know, 0:04:44.160 --> 0:04:46.320 I went to my first year so Open not really 0:04:46.400 --> 0:04:49.680 knowing what to expect, and again, I think the atmosphere 0:04:49.760 --> 0:04:52.120 kind of captivated me and hooked me in. And I've 0:04:52.120 --> 0:04:53.400 been there now fourteen years. 0:04:53.800 --> 0:04:58.000 And so your title is Digital Director. What does that mean? 0:04:58.080 --> 0:04:58.719 What's your job? 0:04:58.920 --> 0:05:02.360 Yeah, so it's interesting one because it's tough to explain 0:05:02.400 --> 0:05:04.800 to folks who are not in the weeds on all 0:05:04.880 --> 0:05:07.080 things US open or even in the sports world. But 0:05:07.200 --> 0:05:10.719 really I oversee all of our consumer facing digital property. 0:05:10.880 --> 0:05:13.359 So that's the us open dot org, our website built 0:05:13.360 --> 0:05:16.200 by IBM, as well as our mobile app. I oversee 0:05:16.240 --> 0:05:21.320 our content strategy, our sponsorship integrations. So really anything consumer 0:05:21.360 --> 0:05:24.400 facing that happens on the web is under my purview, 0:05:24.680 --> 0:05:27.479 even some of our new platform extensions and gaming and 0:05:27.520 --> 0:05:30.760 things like that. Anything that you can physically interact with 0:05:31.120 --> 0:05:32.560 is kind of under my purview. 0:05:33.279 --> 0:05:37.160 And so you've been there now for fourteen ISSU years, 0:05:37.320 --> 0:05:40.960 which in the digital world is a long time. How 0:05:41.000 --> 0:05:45.320 has that sort of digital experience of sports changed over 0:05:45.360 --> 0:05:45.839 that time. 0:05:46.080 --> 0:05:49.640 Yeah, it's obviously grown digital now, is what we say 0:05:49.680 --> 0:05:51.800 and what my team says. It's the number one way 0:05:51.839 --> 0:05:54.479 to engage with fans that can't make it to the event, 0:05:54.680 --> 0:05:56.160 as well as those fans who are at the event, 0:05:56.200 --> 0:05:58.000 and how to enrich their stay. So it's really kind 0:05:58.040 --> 0:06:02.760 of you're tackling multiple personas. It's the international fan who's 0:06:03.040 --> 0:06:05.200 staying up late to watch in other countries, to the 0:06:05.720 --> 0:06:07.919 fan here who's maybe watching on broadcasts, and we go 0:06:07.920 --> 0:06:10.520 in a company and enrich that broadcast with new stats 0:06:10.560 --> 0:06:12.680 and insights. To the on site fan who bought a 0:06:12.720 --> 0:06:15.000 ticket and maybe doesn't know what match is happening on 0:06:15.040 --> 0:06:18.040 what court. We do have twenty plus courts happening at 0:06:18.040 --> 0:06:20.279 a time, with all different matches, So we really try 0:06:20.320 --> 0:06:23.279 to help all fans navigate the US Open the best 0:06:23.279 --> 0:06:23.960 way possible. 0:06:24.320 --> 0:06:26.480 And so, like, what are some of the sort of 0:06:26.480 --> 0:06:28.479 problems you're trying to solve. What are some of the 0:06:28.480 --> 0:06:29.800 hard things about your job? 0:06:30.120 --> 0:06:34.240 Yeah, obviously technology changes at a rapid pace, right, So 0:06:34.279 --> 0:06:36.159 I think part of it is how do we stay 0:06:36.200 --> 0:06:38.320 on the forefront of that, and how do we do 0:06:38.360 --> 0:06:40.520 that in the best way and make the best fan 0:06:40.600 --> 0:06:44.560 experiences possible and the best user experiences possible. That's always 0:06:44.760 --> 0:06:47.680 kind of driving factor number one. Then number two, it's 0:06:48.120 --> 0:06:51.240 understanding and listening to our fans and what kind of 0:06:51.279 --> 0:06:54.279 content they want. You hear me talk a lot about storytelling. 0:06:54.279 --> 0:06:56.239 I feel like there's a lot of storytelling that happens 0:06:56.240 --> 0:06:58.160 around the US open that we really want to bring 0:06:58.200 --> 0:07:01.880 to fans. And that can be as simple as storytelling 0:07:01.920 --> 0:07:05.000 of what's happening today and what you should be watching too. 0:07:05.520 --> 0:07:08.200 Maybe it's your favorite players and what's going on behind 0:07:08.240 --> 0:07:11.880 the scenes with them, to even introducing I want to say, 0:07:11.880 --> 0:07:15.200 the casual fans to who they should be watching, why 0:07:15.200 --> 0:07:17.720 they should follow certain players, and more bringing that player's 0:07:17.760 --> 0:07:18.640 story to life. 0:07:19.240 --> 0:07:19.480 Yeah. 0:07:19.520 --> 0:07:21.800 I mean, I feel like almost the whole point of 0:07:21.800 --> 0:07:25.080 sports is to like create stories for us to follow, right, 0:07:25.160 --> 0:07:28.720 Like they're engineered to be stories. It's exactly, this thing 0:07:28.800 --> 0:07:30.920 is happening in front of you and there are two 0:07:31.480 --> 0:07:34.480 antagonists and the stakes are high, and you don't know 0:07:34.480 --> 0:07:37.040 how it's gonna end, Like it's built to be a story. 0:07:37.280 --> 0:07:39.520 Yeah, And that's the main challenge of the job is 0:07:39.560 --> 0:07:42.320 you can plan, plan, plan, but once you get on 0:07:42.480 --> 0:07:44.400 two players on court and you don't know what that 0:07:44.440 --> 0:07:46.520 outcome is going to be, it's now sitting and waiting 0:07:46.560 --> 0:07:49.000 and watching and you become a fan yourself. And then 0:07:49.000 --> 0:07:52.440 it's how do you really captivate that story and how 0:07:52.440 --> 0:07:54.720 do you narrate it and how do you like translate 0:07:54.840 --> 0:07:55.720 up to fans. 0:07:55.600 --> 0:07:57.000 And it's like you kind of have to do it 0:07:57.040 --> 0:07:59.080 in real time, right, Like the whole point of sports 0:07:59.120 --> 0:08:00.120 is you don't know what's gonna. 0:07:59.920 --> 0:08:03.000 Happen exactly, and that's the excitement. And it's also there's 0:08:03.000 --> 0:08:04.880 so many different types of fans. You know, there's the 0:08:05.480 --> 0:08:07.560 fans who want a lot of enriched data and their 0:08:07.640 --> 0:08:09.800 tennis nerds for lack of better of saying it, and 0:08:09.840 --> 0:08:12.720 that they really want to dive deep into the intricacies 0:08:12.720 --> 0:08:15.200 of the game, versus the casual fan who maybe just 0:08:15.240 --> 0:08:17.280 wants more of this high level storyline of what does 0:08:17.320 --> 0:08:20.720 this mean? Why is it important? So it's really trying 0:08:20.720 --> 0:08:23.040 to figure out how to deliver that at scale and 0:08:23.320 --> 0:08:25.880 really help fans get what they're looking for and the 0:08:25.880 --> 0:08:27.200 type of content they're looking for. 0:08:27.520 --> 0:08:30.720 So are there specific examples of you know how fan 0:08:30.800 --> 0:08:35.360 feedback has led to specific features digital features you build. 0:08:35.720 --> 0:08:38.840 Are there, like particularly popular features you've come up with, Like, 0:08:38.840 --> 0:08:40.559 what are some specifics. 0:08:40.000 --> 0:08:42.520 Yeah, some low hanging fruit type things that came from 0:08:42.600 --> 0:08:45.960 fan feedback. Is simple things sometimes like managing time zones 0:08:45.960 --> 0:08:47.319 and when matches start. 0:08:47.280 --> 0:08:50.520 A persistent problem where those of us can work across 0:08:50.559 --> 0:08:52.000 times exactly. 0:08:52.280 --> 0:08:55.080 And we do have, like I've mentioned, twenty plus courts 0:08:55.080 --> 0:08:57.240 happening at a time, So it's a lot to follow, 0:08:57.280 --> 0:08:59.720 and how do you translate that to a fan, whether 0:08:59.720 --> 0:09:02.360 it's to their native language or to their time zone 0:09:02.400 --> 0:09:04.600 or things like that. So that's one thing that came 0:09:04.640 --> 0:09:07.560 through fan feedback, and another one a three to five 0:09:07.640 --> 0:09:10.280 hour match, especially when you're having twenty plus of them 0:09:10.280 --> 0:09:12.439 happening at a time, is there's too much for one 0:09:12.480 --> 0:09:15.920 person to follow. So how do you start from an 0:09:16.040 --> 0:09:19.400 editorial perspective really helping with that storytelling and guiding a 0:09:19.440 --> 0:09:22.040 fan to like, all right, whether there's an upset about 0:09:22.040 --> 0:09:25.960 to happen, or here's your matches to watch, or even 0:09:26.000 --> 0:09:27.760 some of the predictions we're starting to put in, is 0:09:27.760 --> 0:09:29.760 we really want to guide the fan before a match, 0:09:30.120 --> 0:09:32.680 here's where you should tune in to even after a 0:09:32.679 --> 0:09:35.959 match of here's what's happened, Here's what's important, and we're 0:09:36.000 --> 0:09:37.559 really excited with some of the features we've built in 0:09:37.600 --> 0:09:40.200 the last few years that I would say really helps 0:09:40.280 --> 0:09:41.920 us do that at more scale than what we were 0:09:41.960 --> 0:09:44.240 able to do with just writers following a match and 0:09:44.320 --> 0:09:45.520 covering every single match. 0:09:45.760 --> 0:09:48.520 Huh. So I want to talk a little bit about 0:09:48.880 --> 0:09:54.120 the partnership between IBM and the USTA, Like, just tell 0:09:54.160 --> 0:09:55.679 me about the work you do together. 0:09:56.080 --> 0:09:59.320 So IBM is our official digital and technology partner and 0:09:59.360 --> 0:10:02.720 innovation the US Open they predate me. It's a thirty 0:10:02.800 --> 0:10:05.600 year partnership and it truly as a partnership. So I 0:10:05.720 --> 0:10:08.720 view the IBM consulting team as an extension of my 0:10:09.440 --> 0:10:12.880 USTA team, So we work with them year round. They design, 0:10:13.200 --> 0:10:17.040 develop and deliver the digital properties. They help us provide 0:10:17.040 --> 0:10:19.760 the tools to create content to do things at scale, 0:10:19.800 --> 0:10:22.520 They help us from stats and information and really help 0:10:22.600 --> 0:10:24.960 us push from an innovation standpoint to make sure that 0:10:25.000 --> 0:10:27.200 we are staying on that cutting edge of technology. So 0:10:27.840 --> 0:10:31.560 I would truly say it's much more than a sponsorship, 0:10:31.559 --> 0:10:34.800 where it's truly a partnership to deliver that fan experience. 0:10:34.760 --> 0:10:37.400 And so What are some of the specific things that 0:10:37.640 --> 0:10:38.800 you have done with IBM. 0:10:39.080 --> 0:10:43.240 Yeah, so, I mean there's countless ones to talk through. Obviously, 0:10:43.280 --> 0:10:45.880 they thirty years ago. They helped us build our first 0:10:45.920 --> 0:10:49.400 website and it's kind of grown from there over the 0:10:49.559 --> 0:10:51.400 past few years. I would say, I think it was 0:10:51.400 --> 0:10:53.959 twenty eighteen as we started AI Highlights, So that was 0:10:54.000 --> 0:10:57.720 really when we were able to have all twenty matches 0:10:57.760 --> 0:11:00.000 going at a single time. We were able to quickly 0:11:00.200 --> 0:11:03.800 deliver succinct highlights to fans to our digital platform so 0:11:03.840 --> 0:11:06.080 they could see highlights for every single core. 0:11:06.720 --> 0:11:09.679 Is that video highlights? Is that tech summaries? What does 0:11:09.720 --> 0:11:10.160 that mean? 0:11:10.640 --> 0:11:13.160 At the time, it was video highlights, Okay, So it 0:11:13.200 --> 0:11:16.040 was really taking that three to five hour match, let's say, 0:11:16.080 --> 0:11:18.559 and cut it down to a three minute highlight that 0:11:18.720 --> 0:11:21.080 could show up within moments after a match, ending to 0:11:21.160 --> 0:11:23.640 our website and our mobile app, so fans could see 0:11:23.640 --> 0:11:25.280 that all around the world and really kind of get 0:11:25.320 --> 0:11:28.480 that three minute overview what happened in a match, and. 0:11:28.600 --> 0:11:31.720 Was that AI enabled? Was AI a piece of how 0:11:31.720 --> 0:11:32.199 to do that? 0:11:32.320 --> 0:11:34.959 It was? It was probably our first foray into AI. 0:11:35.600 --> 0:11:42.400 Back twenty eighteen is relatively early, Yeah, exactly, for tennis exactly. 0:11:42.480 --> 0:11:45.439 Yeah. It really, I want to say, opened up our 0:11:45.480 --> 0:11:49.439 ability to one again storytell but attract new fans too. 0:11:49.559 --> 0:11:51.800 Is video has actually been our number one growth area 0:11:51.880 --> 0:11:54.040 since twenty eighteen, and I think a lot of that 0:11:54.080 --> 0:11:55.800 has to do with the scale of how we deliver 0:11:55.880 --> 0:11:56.800 that content. 0:11:56.720 --> 0:11:59.640 Using AI and being able to deliver this sort of 0:11:59.720 --> 0:12:02.920 video highlight reels at scale. 0:12:02.760 --> 0:12:05.320 Yeah, and do it quickly. Right. We've always had highlights, 0:12:05.360 --> 0:12:07.319 but it was a manual process where you had a 0:12:07.880 --> 0:12:11.079 video that or cutting through you know, a three hour match, 0:12:11.200 --> 0:12:13.480 selecting the right scene, stitching together, it would have to 0:12:13.520 --> 0:12:16.720 get voiced over, et cetera. We really have used AI 0:12:16.840 --> 0:12:18.400 to make it, i want to say, much more efficient 0:12:18.520 --> 0:12:21.520 and speed up that process and deliver it more quickly 0:12:21.559 --> 0:12:22.160 to our fans. 0:12:22.520 --> 0:12:24.439 I mean, it would be a bummer to get scooped 0:12:24.600 --> 0:12:27.679 by whatever NBC News or Yes Pen or whatever. I'm 0:12:27.679 --> 0:12:29.480 sure there are all your partners and you love that most. 0:12:29.960 --> 0:12:32.240 Obviously you want to have the video first, right, it's 0:12:32.280 --> 0:12:32.760 your match. 0:12:33.000 --> 0:12:35.200 Yeah, And I think it's also important to us as 0:12:35.559 --> 0:12:39.719 being the USTA is ensuring that it's not just you know, 0:12:39.880 --> 0:12:43.440 the main marquee players, that every player and all those 0:12:43.480 --> 0:12:46.960 storylines and that whether it's you know, the main singles 0:12:47.040 --> 0:12:49.679 draw to our mixed doubles, et cetera. They all need 0:12:49.760 --> 0:12:52.200 highlights and they all have their own stories to tell, 0:12:52.200 --> 0:12:53.960 and how do we do that at scale? It was 0:12:53.960 --> 0:12:56.400 something that before we had that product was not something 0:12:56.440 --> 0:12:57.160 you were able to do. 0:12:57.600 --> 0:13:01.040 Great, So let's let's talk in some more detail about 0:13:01.080 --> 0:13:04.480 what you're working on. Let's start with the app. Tell 0:13:04.480 --> 0:13:07.520 me about the us Open app and the Companion website. 0:13:07.640 --> 0:13:10.120 Yeah, so I'll start with the app, and I feel 0:13:10.200 --> 0:13:13.600 like they serve similar needs, but they're a little different 0:13:13.640 --> 0:13:16.720 in their own respective manners. Is the app. Everybody has 0:13:16.760 --> 0:13:18.640 a phone in their hands at this point. The app 0:13:18.720 --> 0:13:20.880 is kind of their guide to when I say a 0:13:20.920 --> 0:13:23.600 million fans on site, we view the app as we 0:13:23.640 --> 0:13:26.160 want that to be their on site guide, and Companion 0:13:26.400 --> 0:13:27.040 a million. 0:13:27.160 --> 0:13:29.880 Let's just pause on a million fans on site, right, 0:13:29.880 --> 0:13:33.640 because like a big professional whatever, an NFL game or 0:13:33.640 --> 0:13:37.120 something that's like one hundred thousand, this is ten x that. 0:13:37.480 --> 0:13:40.520 Yeah, and a three week window and a very succinct, 0:13:40.679 --> 0:13:45.080 tight action packed window. There's a lot of action logistics. 0:13:45.160 --> 0:13:46.880 Okay, so keep going. 0:13:46.960 --> 0:13:49.800 So the app, you know, whether it's finding the schedules, 0:13:49.840 --> 0:13:52.760 the live scores, what's happening on court. That's really the 0:13:52.760 --> 0:13:55.880 focus point of the app, and what we're really focused 0:13:55.880 --> 0:13:58.120 on this year is how do we build in some 0:13:58.160 --> 0:14:00.839 of those map summaries into the app, into our slam 0:14:00.880 --> 0:14:04.200 Tracker experience. So again, before match, that kind of match 0:14:04.240 --> 0:14:06.480 preview of here's maybe if you have a ticket, here's 0:14:06.520 --> 0:14:09.360 what to expect, here's you know are likely to win, 0:14:09.440 --> 0:14:11.920 who we are predicting, so you can kind of get 0:14:11.960 --> 0:14:15.320 some information heading in, and then after the match it's 0:14:15.320 --> 0:14:18.559 more of what just happened, what it means for the 0:14:18.800 --> 0:14:21.560 rest of the draw, who they're playing next, is this 0:14:21.640 --> 0:14:23.800 the first time this has happened, et cetera, and really 0:14:23.920 --> 0:14:26.960 enriching that experience as well. So the app is one 0:14:27.040 --> 0:14:29.360 your guide to what you should be watching, but also 0:14:29.400 --> 0:14:31.960 then giving you that insights and context of what's happening 0:14:32.000 --> 0:14:32.960 on that court as you're. 0:14:32.880 --> 0:14:36.480 Watching, like the commentator in your pocket exactly. So you 0:14:36.640 --> 0:14:39.400 used a phrase in there as if I already knew it, 0:14:40.280 --> 0:14:41.880 and I love the phrase, but I want you to 0:14:41.880 --> 0:14:44.760 talk more about it. That phrase is slam Tracker. 0:14:45.000 --> 0:14:50.720 Yes, So slam Tracker is our long standing live scores 0:14:50.760 --> 0:14:53.040 I want to say Match Center. It is, okay, where 0:14:53.240 --> 0:14:55.960 every single data point for every single match lives, and 0:14:56.000 --> 0:14:59.280 it really it helps showcase what's happening to match. I say, 0:14:59.280 --> 0:15:02.120 it's our brock Cast companions. If you're watching live, it's 0:15:02.120 --> 0:15:04.640 our in stadium companion. And it's also the best thing 0:15:04.720 --> 0:15:06.720 to have if you aren't able to watch. 0:15:06.840 --> 0:15:08.600 And so, like, I'm on the app and there's a 0:15:08.680 --> 0:15:11.520 thing called slam Tracker, and it like taps slam Tracker. 0:15:11.560 --> 0:15:13.320 What do I see on my phone when I tap 0:15:13.360 --> 0:15:16.720 slam Tracker? You know, midday when the tournament's happening. 0:15:16.760 --> 0:15:18.640 So before match, that's where you get a lot of 0:15:18.640 --> 0:15:20.840 pre match content. That's where those live kind of our 0:15:20.880 --> 0:15:24.240 predictions are likelihood to win lives within that So likelihood 0:15:24.280 --> 0:15:26.840 to win essentially pulls in a bunch of data points. 0:15:26.880 --> 0:15:30.000 So pass matches, how many times these players have played 0:15:30.000 --> 0:15:32.680 each other against each other, even some punditry and other 0:15:32.720 --> 0:15:35.520 written articles that maybe our editorial team put out and 0:15:35.560 --> 0:15:37.920 really kind of puts a prediction out there. 0:15:38.040 --> 0:15:40.160 And so it's just a percentage chance. 0:15:40.080 --> 0:15:43.160 Yes exactly, but it uses millions of data points to 0:15:43.200 --> 0:15:45.480 come up with that. Yes, So it really helps you 0:15:45.560 --> 0:15:48.520 kind of understand what you're getting into for that match. 0:15:48.920 --> 0:15:51.640 During a live match, it is every single point, so 0:15:52.000 --> 0:15:55.200 point by point scoring as well as in depth analysis 0:15:55.200 --> 0:15:58.080 in point commentary where also this year have a live 0:15:58.200 --> 0:16:02.080 visualization that accompanies that will really help bring the match together. 0:16:02.520 --> 0:16:04.240 And what I mean by that is it uses our 0:16:04.280 --> 0:16:07.880 ball tracking technology to really showcase the match in near 0:16:07.920 --> 0:16:10.720 real time, so within seconds delay of where the ball's 0:16:10.920 --> 0:16:13.360 being hit, where the players are, and really bring a 0:16:13.480 --> 0:16:16.240 visualization to life and layered stats and data on top 0:16:16.280 --> 0:16:16.400 of it. 0:16:16.520 --> 0:16:16.640 Huh. 0:16:16.960 --> 0:16:18.720 Is that sort of like when I'm watching a match 0:16:18.760 --> 0:16:21.360 on TV and there's like a close call as the 0:16:21.360 --> 0:16:23.120 ball in or out and they do that thing where 0:16:23.120 --> 0:16:25.320 they kind of show a sort of video game version 0:16:25.360 --> 0:16:27.160 of where the ball landed. Does it look like that? 0:16:27.440 --> 0:16:30.120 It's like that before every single shot, So it's not 0:16:30.280 --> 0:16:32.720 just those close ones. It's our first foray to bring 0:16:32.760 --> 0:16:33.760 that match to life. 0:16:34.280 --> 0:16:36.120 Huh. And so what do I see on that kind 0:16:36.120 --> 0:16:38.320 of view that I don't see from whatever watching the video? 0:16:38.440 --> 0:16:41.080 Yeah, So one you'll be able just to see more 0:16:41.120 --> 0:16:44.280 of the ball trajectory and where the ball is being hit, 0:16:44.320 --> 0:16:46.640 but then you can also start layering things in stats 0:16:46.640 --> 0:16:49.120 and insights on top of that, so how many times 0:16:49.160 --> 0:16:52.359 has player A hit the ball on a certain baseline, 0:16:52.360 --> 0:16:55.320 how fast are they hitting it, maybe their serve percentage 0:16:55.320 --> 0:16:57.160 and a certain side of the court, et cetera. So 0:16:57.200 --> 0:16:59.440 you can really start layering in for the ones that 0:16:59.520 --> 0:17:01.920 really want to. I've deep into the for the nerds. 0:17:01.960 --> 0:17:05.240 It's for the information rich exactly. 0:17:05.320 --> 0:17:07.880 It's the strategy of tennis. It really should be an 0:17:07.880 --> 0:17:09.920 interesting way to slice and dice a match. 0:17:10.160 --> 0:17:11.080 Huh. 0:17:11.160 --> 0:17:14.520 It's remarkable how the USTA is leveraging AI to enhance 0:17:14.560 --> 0:17:19.720 fan engagement and deliver immersive experiences both on site and online. 0:17:20.240 --> 0:17:25.800 Brian's emphasis on storytelling really underscores the evolution of sports marketing. 0:17:26.440 --> 0:17:30.240 The slam Chakra feature particularly caught my attention. It's essentially 0:17:30.280 --> 0:17:33.600 bringing the excitement of a tennis match to life in 0:17:33.640 --> 0:17:37.800 your palm, moment by moment. As someone who appreciates the 0:17:37.880 --> 0:17:41.639 narrative intricacies of sports, I find it compelling how AI 0:17:41.760 --> 0:17:45.600 helps predict and analyze matches in real time. 0:17:46.600 --> 0:17:49.000 Tell me about the AI commentary feature. 0:17:49.200 --> 0:17:52.840 Yeah, I know. I mentioned AI highlights back in twenty eighteen. 0:17:52.920 --> 0:17:55.919 It's now progressed for us. And again, if we go 0:17:56.040 --> 0:17:58.960 back to before we had a highlights to have a 0:17:59.040 --> 0:18:02.199 highlight ready for this was a video editor cutting the 0:18:02.280 --> 0:18:05.920 highlight and getting voiced over and then being published aside, 0:18:05.960 --> 0:18:09.600 and it took probably an hour plus for that highlight 0:18:09.640 --> 0:18:13.320 to really be created. Now with AI commentary, not only 0:18:13.320 --> 0:18:16.440 are we creating and cutting the highlights using our AI technology, 0:18:16.480 --> 0:18:18.679 but it's now using all the data points that we 0:18:18.720 --> 0:18:20.920 have around the match, whether it's our live scoring data, 0:18:21.320 --> 0:18:24.679 our ball tra directory data, etc. And it's really creating 0:18:24.720 --> 0:18:28.199 a script that helped storytell around that match. That's all 0:18:28.280 --> 0:18:32.159 using Watson X technology and then using text to speech 0:18:32.240 --> 0:18:34.720 we're able to actually then create the commentary on top 0:18:34.760 --> 0:18:38.040 of that, which all happens now within minutes. So our 0:18:38.040 --> 0:18:40.960 team's able to now create fully voiced highlights for every 0:18:40.960 --> 0:18:44.159 men's and women's singles match to our site within minutes. 0:18:44.960 --> 0:18:47.479 So I know there's a new feature you're working on 0:18:47.520 --> 0:18:51.760 for this year called match reports. What are match reports? 0:18:52.080 --> 0:18:56.679 It's our ability to succicktly tell the story of a match, 0:18:57.160 --> 0:19:00.680 so everything happens in five hours within that match down 0:19:00.720 --> 0:19:04.680 to a couple paragraphs that really helps a user understand 0:19:04.720 --> 0:19:08.320