WEBVTT - Smart Talks with IBM: An AI advantage for the US Open 0:00:04.880 --> 0:00:10.840 Welcome to Tech Stuff, a production from iHeartRadio. 0:00:12.560 --> 0:00:14.200 Today, we are witnessed. 0:00:13.720 --> 0:00:16.960 To one of those rare moments in history, the rise 0:00:17.079 --> 0:00:20.880 of an innovative technology with the potential to radically transform 0:00:20.920 --> 0:00:26.640 business and society forever. That technology, of course, is artificial intelligence, 0:00:26.840 --> 0:00:29.600 and it's the central focus for this new season of 0:00:29.640 --> 0:00:33.720 Smart Talks with IBM. Join hosts from your favorite Pushkin 0:00:33.840 --> 0:00:37.360 podcasts as a talk with industry experts and leaders to 0:00:37.440 --> 0:00:41.199 explore how businesses can integrate AI into their workflows and 0:00:41.360 --> 0:00:44.479 help drive real change in this new era of AI, 0:00:45.040 --> 0:00:47.680 and of course, host Malcolm Gladwell will be there to 0:00:47.720 --> 0:00:50.320 guide you through the season and throw in his two 0:00:50.360 --> 0:00:53.400 cents as well. Look out for new episodes of Smart 0:00:53.400 --> 0:00:56.600 Talks with IBM every other week on the iHeartRadio app, 0:00:56.800 --> 0:01:00.400 Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts, and learn 0:01:00.440 --> 0:01:13.640 more at IBM dot com, slash smart Talks. 0:01:11.200 --> 0:01:20.720 Pushkin Hello, Hello, Welcome to Smart Talks with IBM, a 0:01:20.800 --> 0:01:25.800 podcast from Pushkin Industries, iHeartRadio and IBM. I'm Malcolm Gladwell. 0:01:26.520 --> 0:01:29.839 This season, we're diving back into the world of artificial intelligence, 0:01:30.240 --> 0:01:33.080 but with a focus on the powerful concept of open 0:01:33.480 --> 0:01:38.480 its possibilities implications and misconceptions. We'll look at openness from 0:01:38.520 --> 0:01:41.440 a variety of angles and explore how the concept is 0:01:41.480 --> 0:01:45.360 already reshaping industries, ways of doing business, and our very 0:01:45.440 --> 0:01:50.680 notion of what's possible. I'm particularly excited for today's guest, 0:01:51.000 --> 0:01:55.160 Brian Ryerson. He's Senior director of Digital Strategy at the 0:01:55.280 --> 0:01:58.760 US Tennis Association, helping to oversee one of the most 0:01:59.000 --> 0:02:02.200 iconic events in the world of sports, the US Open. 0:02:03.200 --> 0:02:06.520 Brian sat down with Pushkin's own Jacob Goldstein, host of 0:02:06.560 --> 0:02:11.000 the podcast What's Your Problem. A veteran business journalist, Jacob 0:02:11.040 --> 0:02:13.920 has reported for The Wall Street Journal, the Miami Herald, 0:02:14.160 --> 0:02:17.799 and was a longtime host of the NPR program Planet Money. 0:02:18.960 --> 0:02:22.320 IBM has been the official technology partner of the US 0:02:22.320 --> 0:02:26.519 Tennis Association for more than thirty years, and the more 0:02:26.560 --> 0:02:31.000 recent evolution into generative AI has enhanced the world class 0:02:31.160 --> 0:02:35.560 digital experiences that help more than fifteen million fans from 0:02:35.600 --> 0:02:39.160 all over the world enjoy the US Open Tennis Championships. 0:02:39.600 --> 0:02:43.560 In this episode, we will explore how generative AI is 0:02:43.639 --> 0:02:48.280 being used to generate match insights, spoken commentary for match highlights, 0:02:48.560 --> 0:02:52.399 and postmatch summaries at scale for fans to enjoy through 0:02:52.400 --> 0:02:55.760 the US Open app and website. We'll explore how these 0:02:55.800 --> 0:03:00.240 AI solutions enable the editorial team to cover more of 0:03:00.280 --> 0:03:04.440 the tournament than ever before, bringing fans even closer to 0:03:04.520 --> 0:03:06.880 the game they love, and we'll learn more about one 0:03:06.880 --> 0:03:11.040 of the engines behind this AI powered content creation, a 0:03:11.160 --> 0:03:15.000 large language model from the IBM Granite family, which is 0:03:15.040 --> 0:03:20.320 trained and maintained using the wantsonex AI and data platform. Okay, 0:03:21.040 --> 0:03:21.760 let's dive in. 0:03:23.000 --> 0:03:24.080 Brian, Welcome to the show. 0:03:24.360 --> 0:03:25.800 Thanks for having me. I'm excited to be here. 0:03:26.200 --> 0:03:27.720 Can you say your name and your job. 0:03:28.080 --> 0:03:30.960 Yeah, I'm a Brian Ryerson. I'm senior director of Digital 0:03:30.960 --> 0:03:32.160 Strategy at the USTA. 0:03:32.520 --> 0:03:34.840 Dumb question, what's the USTA. 0:03:34.639 --> 0:03:36.839 The US Tennis Association. 0:03:37.120 --> 0:03:39.720 And tell me about the USTA, Like, what is it? 0:03:40.120 --> 0:03:42.720 Yeah? So the USTA is the governing body of tennis 0:03:42.720 --> 0:03:46.040 in the US. Or mission is to grow the sport 0:03:46.080 --> 0:03:49.440 of tennis across the US at all levels. Really, I 0:03:49.440 --> 0:03:51.600 would say we're more like a health and wellness company 0:03:51.600 --> 0:03:54.200 where tennis is the means to health and wellness. And 0:03:54.240 --> 0:03:56.720 then the US Open is kind of our tenth pole 0:03:56.800 --> 0:03:59.400 event that happens iver Ear and Flushing Meadows and is 0:03:59.400 --> 0:04:01.480 really our chance. It's the showcase the sport of tennis 0:04:01.480 --> 0:04:03.920 at its highest level to fans all around the world. 0:04:04.040 --> 0:04:06.200 Yeah, I mean the US Open. I assume most people 0:04:06.240 --> 0:04:08.400 know this, but it's Grand Slam. It's one of the 0:04:08.440 --> 0:04:11.520 what four biggest tennis tournaments in the world. 0:04:11.640 --> 0:04:14.840 Yes, yeah, every year, we especially the past couple of years, 0:04:14.880 --> 0:04:18.160 we've seen immense growth and you know, we are very 0:04:18.240 --> 0:04:20.280 hopeful this year and our big goals. Have over a 0:04:20.320 --> 0:04:22.720 million fans on site during the three week window this year, 0:04:22.760 --> 0:04:24.960 so it's an amazing event. I always say it's a 0:04:24.960 --> 0:04:27.840 food and wine festival where tennis is the main attraction, 0:04:28.240 --> 0:04:30.479 and it's a really fun, unique atmosphere. 0:04:31.160 --> 0:04:33.000 How did you get into the tennis business. 0:04:33.160 --> 0:04:35.839 It's a great question. It's not where I thought i'd 0:04:35.920 --> 0:04:38.360 end up for especially being there for fourteen years. So 0:04:38.520 --> 0:04:41.880 I was a marketing and technology major in school, and 0:04:42.600 --> 0:04:45.200 I also played college lacrosse and sports was always a 0:04:45.200 --> 0:04:46.880 big part of my life and always wanted to be 0:04:46.880 --> 0:04:49.320 in the sports and entertainment world. I'm here from the 0:04:49.320 --> 0:04:50.880 New York area. This is where I grew up. So 0:04:50.920 --> 0:04:53.320 I moved back home and had a few friends who 0:04:53.400 --> 0:04:56.000 worked there, and I started out more on the number 0:04:56.120 --> 0:04:58.360 side of things and really digital analytics. It was really 0:04:58.360 --> 0:05:01.440 the start of We're in Facebook and Twitter is just 0:05:01.480 --> 0:05:04.800 starting and digital marketing and all of that. And you know, 0:05:04.839 --> 0:05:07.400 I went to my first US Open not really knowing 0:05:07.440 --> 0:05:10.600 what to expect, and again, I think the atmosphere kind 0:05:10.600 --> 0:05:12.960 of captivated me and hooked me in. And I've been 0:05:12.960 --> 0:05:14.080 there now fourteen years. 0:05:14.520 --> 0:05:18.760 And so your title is Digital Director. What does that mean? 0:05:18.800 --> 0:05:19.400 What's your job? 0:05:19.640 --> 0:05:22.640 Yeah, so it's an interesting one because it's tough to 0:05:22.720 --> 0:05:25.240 explain to folks who are not in the weeds on 0:05:25.320 --> 0:05:27.719 all things us Open or even in the sports world. 0:05:27.720 --> 0:05:31.440 But really I oversee all of our consumer facing digital property. 0:05:31.560 --> 0:05:34.040 So that's the us open dot org, our website built 0:05:34.040 --> 0:05:36.920 by IBM, as well as our mobile app. I oversee 0:05:36.920 --> 0:05:42.000 our content strategy, our sponsorship integrations. So really anything consumer 0:05:42.080 --> 0:05:45.120 facing that happens on the web is under my purview. 0:05:45.400 --> 0:05:48.200 Even some of our new platform extensions and gaming and 0:05:48.240 --> 0:05:51.440 things like that. Anything that you can physically interact with 0:05:51.839 --> 0:05:53.240 is kind of under my purview. 0:05:54.000 --> 0:05:57.840 And so you've been there now for fourteen ISSU years, 0:05:58.000 --> 0:06:01.640 which in the digital world is a long time. How 0:06:01.680 --> 0:06:06.040 has that sort of digital experience of sports changed over 0:06:06.080 --> 0:06:06.560 that time. 0:06:06.800 --> 0:06:10.360 Yeah, it's obviously grown digital now, is what we say 0:06:10.360 --> 0:06:12.479 and what my team says. It's the number one way 0:06:12.520 --> 0:06:15.159 to engage with fans that can't make it to the event, 0:06:15.360 --> 0:06:16.880 as well as those fans who are at the event, 0:06:16.920 --> 0:06:18.400 and how do you enrich their stay. So it's really 0:06:18.520 --> 0:06:22.840 kind of you're tackling multiple fan personas. It's the international 0:06:22.880 --> 0:06:25.640 fan who's staying up late to watch in other countries, 0:06:25.680 --> 0:06:28.400 to the fan here who's maybe watching on broadcasts, and 0:06:28.400 --> 0:06:30.640 we go on in a company and enrich that broadcast of 0:06:30.760 --> 0:06:33.080 new stats and insights to the on site fan who 0:06:33.080 --> 0:06:35.320 bought a ticket and maybe doesn't know what match is 0:06:35.320 --> 0:06:38.120 happening on what court. We do have twenty plus courts 0:06:38.120 --> 0:06:40.760 happening at a time with all different matches, So really 0:06:40.760 --> 0:06:43.800 try to help all fans navigate the US Open the 0:06:43.800 --> 0:06:44.640 best way possible. 0:06:45.040 --> 0:06:47.159 And so, like, what are some of the sort of 0:06:47.200 --> 0:06:49.159 problems you're trying to solve. What are some of the 0:06:49.160 --> 0:06:50.480 hard things about your job? 0:06:50.800 --> 0:06:54.920 Yeah, obviously technology changes at a rapid pace, right, So 0:06:55.000 --> 0:06:56.880 I think part of it is how do we stay 0:06:56.880 --> 0:06:59.040 on the forefront of that, and how do we do 0:06:59.080 --> 0:07:01.200 that in the best way and make the best fan 0:07:01.320 --> 0:07:04.800 experiences possible and the best user experience as possible. That's 0:07:04.839 --> 0:07:08.159 always kind of driving factor number one. Then number two, 0:07:08.200 --> 0:07:11.800 it's understanding and listening to our fans and what kind 0:07:11.840 --> 0:07:14.040 of content they want. You hear me talk a lot 0:07:14.040 --> 0:07:16.560 about storytelling. I feel like there's a lot of storytelling 0:07:16.560 --> 0:07:18.480 that happens around the years open that we really want 0:07:18.520 --> 0:07:21.520 to bring to fans. And that can be as simple 0:07:21.600 --> 0:07:24.840 as storytelling of what's happening today and what you should 0:07:24.920 --> 0:07:28.240 be watching too. Maybe it's your favorite players and what's 0:07:28.280 --> 0:07:31.840 going on behind the scenes with them, to even introducing 0:07:32.040 --> 0:07:34.840 I want to say, the casual fans to who they 0:07:34.840 --> 0:07:37.280 should be watching, why they should follow certain players, and 0:07:37.280 --> 0:07:39.320 more bringing that player's story to life. 0:07:39.960 --> 0:07:42.360 Yeah, I mean, I feel like almost the whole point 0:07:42.400 --> 0:07:45.760 of sports is to create stories for us to follow, right, 0:07:45.840 --> 0:07:49.440 Like they're engineered to be stories. It's exactly this thing 0:07:49.520 --> 0:07:51.640 is happening in front of you and there are two 0:07:52.200 --> 0:07:55.160 antagonists and the stakes are high, and you don't know 0:07:55.200 --> 0:07:57.720 how it's gonna end. Like it's built to be a story. 0:07:57.960 --> 0:08:00.240 Yeah, And that's the main challenge of the job is 0:08:00.280 --> 0:08:03.000 you can plan, plan, plan, but once you get on 0:08:03.160 --> 0:08:05.080 two players on court and you don't know what that 0:08:05.120 --> 0:08:07.240 outcome is going to be. It's now sitting and waiting 0:08:07.240 --> 0:08:09.680 and watching and you become a fan yourself. And then 0:08:09.720 --> 0:08:13.120 it's how do you really captivate that story and how 0:08:13.120 --> 0:08:15.600 do you narrate it? How do you like translate up 0:08:15.640 --> 0:08:16.400 to fans. 0:08:16.280 --> 0:08:17.720 And it's like you kind of have to do it 0:08:17.760 --> 0:08:19.760 in real time, right, Like the whole point of sports 0:08:19.840 --> 0:08:20.680 is you don't know what's going. 0:08:20.680 --> 0:08:23.280 To happen exactly, and that's the excitement. And it's also 0:08:23.440 --> 0:08:25.520 there's so many different types of fans. You know, there's 0:08:25.560 --> 0:08:28.080 the fans who want a lot of enriched data and 0:08:28.120 --> 0:08:30.360 their tennis nerds for lack of better of saying it, 0:08:30.400 --> 0:08:32.760 and that they really want to dive deep into the 0:08:32.800 --> 0:08:35.800 intricacies of the game, versus the casual fan who maybe 0:08:35.840 --> 0:08:37.760 just wants more of this high level storyline of what 0:08:37.800 --> 0:08:41.120 does this mean? Why is it important? So it's really 0:08:41.120 --> 0:08:43.680 trying to figure out how to deliver that at scale 0:08:43.679 --> 0:08:46.480 and really help fans get what they're looking for and 0:08:46.520 --> 0:08:47.880 the type of content they're looking for. 0:08:48.200 --> 0:08:51.400 So, are there specific examples of, you know, how fan 0:08:51.520 --> 0:08:56.040 feedback has led to specific features digital features you build? 0:08:56.400 --> 0:08:59.400 Are there like particularly popular features you've come up with, 0:08:59.440 --> 0:09:01.200 Like what are some specifics. 0:09:00.720 --> 0:09:03.240 Yeah, some low hanging fruit type things that came from 0:09:03.280 --> 0:09:06.640 fan feedback. Is simple things sometimes like managing time zones 0:09:06.760 --> 0:09:07.959 when matches start. 0:09:07.960 --> 0:09:11.560 A persistent problem where those of us work across. 0:09:11.280 --> 0:09:15.120 Times exactly, and we do have, like I mentioned, twenty 0:09:15.120 --> 0:09:17.320 plus courts happening at a time, So it's a lot 0:09:17.360 --> 0:09:19.720 to follow, and how do you translate that to a fan, 0:09:20.160 --> 0:09:22.719 whether it's to their native language or to their time 0:09:22.800 --> 0:09:25.080 zone or things like that. So that's one thing that 0:09:25.120 --> 0:09:27.960 came through fan feedback, and another one a three to 0:09:28.040 --> 0:09:30.760 five hour match, especially when you're having twenty plus of 0:09:30.800 --> 0:09:32.880 them happening at a time, is there's too much for 0:09:32.960 --> 0:09:36.520 one person to follow. So how do you start from 0:09:36.520 --> 0:09:40.000 an editorial perspective really helping with that storytelling and guiding 0:09:40.000 --> 0:09:42.400 a fan to like, all right, whether there's an upset 0:09:42.440 --> 0:09:46.040 about to happen, or here's your matches to watch, or 0:09:46.400 --> 0:09:48.280 even some of the predictions we're starting to put in 0:09:48.360 --> 0:09:50.480 is we really want to guide the fan before match, 0:09:50.840 --> 0:09:53.360 here's where you should tune in to even after a 0:09:53.400 --> 0:09:56.640 match of here's what's happened, here's what's important, and we're 0:09:56.679 --> 0:09:58.240 really excited with some of the features we've built in 0:09:58.280 --> 0:10:00.920 the last few years that I would say really helps 0:10:00.960 --> 0:10:02.600 us do that at more scale than what we were 0:10:02.640 --> 0:10:04.960 able to do with just writers following a match and 0:10:05.000 --> 0:10:06.240 covering every single match. 0:10:06.400 --> 0:10:08.679 Uh huh. So I want to talk a little bit 0:10:08.760 --> 0:10:14.560 about the partnership between IBM and the USTA, Like, just 0:10:14.640 --> 0:10:16.360 tell me about the work you do together. 0:10:16.760 --> 0:10:20.000 So, IBM is our official digital and technology partner and 0:10:20.080 --> 0:10:23.079 innovation partner of the US Open They predate me. It's 0:10:23.080 --> 0:10:26.000 a thirty year partnership and it truly is a partnership. 0:10:26.040 --> 0:10:29.040 So I view the IBM consulting team as an extension 0:10:29.120 --> 0:10:32.600 of my USTA team, So we work with them year round. 0:10:32.880 --> 0:10:37.199 They design, develop and deliver the digital properties. They help 0:10:37.280 --> 0:10:40.000 us provide the tools to create content, to do things 0:10:40.000 --> 0:10:42.440 at scale. They help us from stats and information and 0:10:42.760 --> 0:10:45.400 really help us push from an innovation standpoint to make 0:10:45.400 --> 0:10:47.720 sure that we are staying on that cutting edge of technology. 0:10:47.760 --> 0:10:52.280 So I would truly say it's much more than a sponsorship, 0:10:52.280 --> 0:10:55.000 where it's truly a partnership to deliver that fan experience. 0:10:55.440 --> 0:10:58.079 And So, what are some of the specific things that 0:10:58.360 --> 0:10:59.480 you have done with IBM. 0:10:59.720 --> 0:11:03.960 Yeah, so I mean, there's countless ones to talk through. Obviously, 0:11:04.000 --> 0:11:06.600 they thirty years ago. They helped us build our first 0:11:06.600 --> 0:11:10.120 website and it's kind of grown from there over the 0:11:10.240 --> 0:11:12.080 past few years. I would say I think it was 0:11:12.120 --> 0:11:14.680 twenty eighteen as we started AI Highlights, So that was 0:11:14.720 --> 0:11:18.400 really when we were able to have all twenty matches 0:11:18.440 --> 0:11:20.800 going at a single time. We were able to quickly 0:11:20.880 --> 0:11:24.520 deliver succinct highlights to fans to our digital platform, so 0:11:24.520 --> 0:11:26.760 they could see highlights for every single core. 0:11:27.440 --> 0:11:30.360 Is that video highlights? Is that tech summaries? What does 0:11:30.400 --> 0:11:30.840 that mean? 0:11:31.360 --> 0:11:33.840 At the time, it was video highlights, Okay, so it 0:11:33.880 --> 0:11:36.760 was really taking that three to five hour match, let's say, 0:11:36.760 --> 0:11:39.280 and cut it down to a three minute highlight that 0:11:39.400 --> 0:11:41.800 could show up within moments after a match, ending to 0:11:41.840 --> 0:11:44.320 our website and our mobile app, so fans could see 0:11:44.320 --> 0:11:46.000 that all around the world and really kind of get 0:11:46.000 --> 0:11:48.760 that three minute overview what happened in a match? 0:11:48.960 --> 0:11:51.800 And was that AI enabled? Was AI a piece of 0:11:52.240 --> 0:11:52.920 how to do that? 0:11:53.040 --> 0:11:55.680 It was? It was probably our first FORAY into AI. 0:11:56.280 --> 0:12:01.200 Back twenty eighteen is relatively early, yeah, exactly, cly for 0:12:01.320 --> 0:12:03.079 tennis exactly. 0:12:03.200 --> 0:12:06.160 Yeah. It really I want to say opened up our 0:12:06.200 --> 0:12:10.160 ability to one against storyteller but attract new fans too. 0:12:10.240 --> 0:12:12.480 Is video has actually been our number one growth area 0:12:12.600 --> 0:12:14.720 since twenty eighteen, and I think a lot of that 0:12:14.800 --> 0:12:16.480 has to do with the scale of how we deliver 0:12:16.559 --> 0:12:17.440 that content. 0:12:17.440 --> 0:12:20.360 Using AI and being able to deliver the sort of 0:12:20.480 --> 0:12:23.679 video highlight reels at scale. 0:12:23.440 --> 0:12:26.040 Yeah, and do it quickly. Right. We've always had highlights, 0:12:26.040 --> 0:12:28.040 but it was a manual process where you had a 0:12:28.559 --> 0:12:32.280 video ad or cutting through a three hour match, selecting 0:12:32.320 --> 0:12:34.360 the right scene, stitching together it would have to get 0:12:34.400 --> 0:12:37.600 voiced over, et cetera. We really have used AI to 0:12:37.600 --> 0:12:39.320 make it, i want to say, much more efficient and 0:12:39.360 --> 0:12:42.320 speed up that process and deliver it more quickly to 0:12:42.360 --> 0:12:42.840 our fans. 0:12:43.240 --> 0:12:45.160 I mean, it would be a bummer to get scooped 0:12:45.280 --> 0:12:48.400 by whatever NBC News or Yes Pen or whatever. I'm 0:12:48.400 --> 0:12:49.920 sure there are all your partners and you love them. 0:12:49.960 --> 0:12:52.679 Most likely obviously you want to have the video first, right, 0:12:52.760 --> 0:12:53.480 it's your match. 0:12:53.679 --> 0:12:56.160 Yeah, And I think it's also important to us as 0:12:56.280 --> 0:13:00.400 being the USTA is ensuring that it's not just you know, 0:13:00.600 --> 0:13:04.160 the main marquee players, that every player and all those 0:13:04.200 --> 0:13:07.680 storylines and that whether it's you know, the main singles 0:13:07.760 --> 0:13:10.360 draw to our mixed doubles, et cetera. They all need 0:13:10.440 --> 0:13:12.880 highlights and they all have their own stories to tell, 0:13:12.880 --> 0:13:14.640 and how do we do that at scale? It was 0:13:14.679 --> 0:13:17.120 something that before we had that product was not something 0:13:17.120 --> 0:13:17.880 you were able to do. 0:13:18.320 --> 0:13:21.760 Great, So let's let's talk in some more detail about 0:13:21.760 --> 0:13:25.160 what you're working on. Let's start with the app. Tell 0:13:25.200 --> 0:13:28.240 me about the us Open app and the Companion website. 0:13:28.320 --> 0:13:30.560 Yeah, so, so I'll start with the app, and I 0:13:30.600 --> 0:13:33.920 feel like they serve similar needs, but they're a little 0:13:33.960 --> 0:13:37.240 different in their own respective manners. Is the app. Everybody 0:13:37.280 --> 0:13:39.040 has a phone in their hands at this point. The 0:13:39.080 --> 0:13:41.480 app is kind of their guide to when I say 0:13:41.520 --> 0:13:44.120 a million fans on site, we view the app as 0:13:44.200 --> 0:13:46.240 we want that to be their on site guide and 0:13:46.280 --> 0:13:47.720 Companion a million. 0:13:47.840 --> 0:13:50.560 Let's just pause on a million fans on site, right, 0:13:50.600 --> 0:13:54.320 because like a big professional whatever, an NFL game or 0:13:54.360 --> 0:13:57.840 something that's like one hundred thousand, this is ten x that. 0:13:58.200 --> 0:14:01.679 Yeah, and a three week window in a very succinct, tight, 0:14:01.760 --> 0:14:05.800 action packed window. There's a lot of action logistics. 0:14:05.840 --> 0:14:07.560 Okay, so keep going. 0:14:07.679 --> 0:14:10.480 So the app, you know, whether it's finding the schedules, 0:14:10.559 --> 0:14:13.440 the live scores, what's happening on court. That's really the 0:14:13.480 --> 0:14:16.560 focus point of the app, and what we're really focused 0:14:16.600 --> 0:14:18.840 on this year is how do we build in some 0:14:18.880 --> 0:14:21.560 of those match summaries into the app, into our slam 0:14:21.600 --> 0:14:24.880 Tracker experience. So again, before match, that kind of match 0:14:24.920 --> 0:14:27.200 preview of here's maybe if you have a ticket, here's 0:14:27.200 --> 0:14:30.040 what to expect, here's you know are likely to win, 0:14:30.120 --> 0:14:32.600 who we are predicting, so you can kind of get 0:14:32.640 --> 0:14:36.000 some information heading in, and then after the match it's 0:14:36.040 --> 0:14:39.240 more of what just happened, what it means for the 0:14:39.480 --> 0:14:42.240 rest of the draw, who they're playing next, is this 0:14:42.360 --> 0:14:44.520 the first time this has happened, et cetera, and really 0:14:44.600 --> 0:14:47.680 enriching that experience as well. So the app is one 0:14:47.720 --> 0:14:50.080 your guide to what you should be watching, but also 0:14:50.120 --> 0:14:52.840 then giving that insights and context to what's happening on 0:14:52.880 --> 0:14:53.720 that court as you're. 0:14:53.560 --> 0:14:57.200 Watching, like the commentator in your pocket exactly. So you 0:14:57.320 --> 0:14:59.880 used a phrase in there as if I already knew, 0:15:01.000 --> 0:15:02.560 and I love the phrase, but I want you to 0:15:02.600 --> 0:15:05.480 talk more about it. That phrase is slam Tracker. 0:15:05.680 --> 0:15:11.400 Yes, so slam Tracker is our long standing live scores. 0:15:11.440 --> 0:15:13.720 I want to say match center. It is okay, where 0:15:13.960 --> 0:15:16.680 every single data point for every single match lives and 0:15:16.720 --> 0:15:19.960 it really it helps showcase what's happening to match. I say, 0:15:20.000 --> 0:15:22.800 it's our broadcast companion, So if you're watching live, it's 0:15:22.800 --> 0:15:25.360 our in stadium companion. And it's also the best thing 0:15:25.400 --> 0:15:27.440 to have if you aren't able to watch. 0:15:27.560 --> 0:15:29.320 And so like, I'm on the app and there's a 0:15:29.360 --> 0:15:32.240 thing called slam Tracker, and I like, tap slam Tracker. 0:15:32.240 --> 0:15:34.000 What do I see on my phone when I tap 0:15:34.080 --> 0:15:37.400 slam Tracker? You know, midday when the tournament's happening. 0:15:37.480 --> 0:15:39.320 So before match, that's where you get a lot of 0:15:39.360 --> 0:15:41.560 pre match content. That's where those live kind of our 0:15:41.560 --> 0:15:44.920 predictions are. Likelihood to win lives within that. So likelihood 0:15:44.960 --> 0:15:47.560 to win essentially pulls in a bunch of data points. 0:15:47.560 --> 0:15:50.680 So pass matches, how many times these players have played 0:15:50.680 --> 0:15:53.360 each other against each other, even some punditry and other 0:15:53.400 --> 0:15:56.200 written articles that maybe our editorial team put out and 0:15:56.240 --> 0:15:58.880 really kind of puts a prediction out there. 0:15:58.760 --> 0:16:00.800 And so it's just a percentage chance. 0:16:00.800 --> 0:16:03.880 Yes exactly, but it uses millions of data points to 0:16:03.920 --> 0:16:06.200 come up with that. Yes, so it really helps you 0:16:06.280 --> 0:16:09.200 kind of understand what you're getting into for that match. 0:16:09.600 --> 0:16:12.320 During a live match, it is every single point so 0:16:12.720 --> 0:16:15.880 point by point scoring as well as in depth analysis 0:16:15.880 --> 0:16:18.800 in point commentary where also this year have a live 0:16:18.880 --> 0:16:21.840 visualization that accompanies that that will really help bring the 0:16:21.960 --> 0:16:24.360 match together. And what I mean by that is it 0:16:24.480 --> 0:16:27.720 uses our ball tracking technology to really showcase the match 0:16:28.040 --> 0:16:30.960 in near real time, so within seconds delay of where 0:16:30.960 --> 0:16:33.480 the ball is being hit, where the players are, and 0:16:33.520 --> 0:16:36.320 really bring a visualization to life and layered stats and 0:16:36.400 --> 0:16:37.080 data on top of it. 0:16:37.240 --> 0:16:39.120 Uh. Is that sort of like when I'm watching a 0:16:39.200 --> 0:16:41.920 match on TV and there's like a close call as 0:16:41.960 --> 0:16:43.600 the ball in or out and they do that thing 0:16:43.640 --> 0:16:45.640 where they kind of show a sort of video game 0:16:45.720 --> 0:16:47.840 version of where the ball landed. Does it look like that? 0:16:48.120 --> 0:16:50.840 It's like that before every single shot, So it's not 0:16:50.960 --> 0:16:53.440 just those close ones. It's our first foray to bring 0:16:53.480 --> 0:16:54.440 that match to life. 0:16:54.960 --> 0:16:56.840 Huh. And so what do I see on that kind 0:16:56.840 --> 0:16:59.040 of view that I don't see from whatever watching the video? 0:16:59.120 --> 0:17:02.440 Yeah, be able just to see more of the ball 0:17:02.480 --> 0:17:05.239 trajectory and where the ball is being hit, But then 0:17:05.280 --> 0:17:07.840 you can also start layering things and stats and insights 0:17:07.880 --> 0:17:10.560 on top of that. So how many times has player 0:17:10.600 --> 0:17:13.600 A hit the ball on a certain baseline, how fast 0:17:13.600 --> 0:17:16.199 are they hitting it, maybe their serve percentage and a 0:17:16.240 --> 0:17:18.120 certain side of the court, et cetera. So you can 0:17:18.119 --> 0:17:20.600 really start layering in for the ones that really want 0:17:20.640 --> 0:17:21.640 to dive deep into the. 0:17:21.880 --> 0:17:26.000 For the nerds, it's for the it's the information rich exactly. 0:17:26.040 --> 0:17:28.560 It's the strategy of tennis. It really should be an 0:17:28.600 --> 0:17:30.639 interesting way to slice and dice a match. 0:17:30.840 --> 0:17:31.800 Huh. 0:17:31.880 --> 0:17:35.200 It's remarkable how the USTA is leveraging AI to enhance 0:17:35.280 --> 0:17:40.560 fan engagement and deliver immersive experiences both on site and online. 0:17:40.960 --> 0:17:46.480 Brian's emphasis on storytelling really underscores the evolution of sports marketing. 0:17:47.119 --> 0:17:50.920 The slam Choker feature particularly caught my attention. It's essentially 0:17:50.960 --> 0:17:54.280 bringing the excitement of a tennis match to life in 0:17:54.320 --> 0:17:58.520 your palm, moment by moment. As someone who appreciates the 0:17:58.600 --> 0:18:02.320 narrative intricacies of spoil, I find it compelling how AI 0:18:02.440 --> 0:18:06.280 helps predict and analyze matches in real time. 0:18:07.320 --> 0:18:09.719 Tell me about the AI commentary feature. 0:18:09.880 --> 0:18:13.520 Yeah, I know. I mentioned AI highlights back in twenty eighteen. 0:18:13.600 --> 0:18:16.600 It's now progressed for us. And again, if we go 0:18:16.720 --> 0:18:19.679 back to before we had AA highlights, to have a 0:18:19.720 --> 0:18:22.840 highlight ready for the site was a video editor cutting 0:18:22.840 --> 0:18:26.639 the highlight and getting voiced over and then being published aside, 0:18:26.680 --> 0:18:30.280 and it took probably an hour plus for that highlight 0:18:30.320 --> 0:18:34.000 to really be created. Now with AI commentary, not only 0:18:34.040 --> 0:18:37.119 are we creating and cutting the highlights using our AI technology, 0:18:37.160 --> 0:18:39.399 but it's now using all the data points that we 0:18:39.400 --> 0:18:41.680 have around the match, whether it's our live scoring data, 0:18:42.000 --> 0:18:45.399 our ball tro directory data, etc. And it's really creating 0:18:45.400 --> 0:18:48.919 a script that helped storytell around that match. That's all 0:18:49.000 --> 0:18:52.879 using Watson X technology and then using text to speech 0:18:52.920 --> 0:18:55.440 we're able to actually then create the commentary on top 0:18:55.480 --> 0:18:58.719 of that, which all happens now within minutes. So our 0:18:58.760 --> 0:19:01.640 team's able to now create fully voiced highlights for every 0:19:01.680 --> 0:19:04.879 men's and women's singles match to our site within minutes. 0:19:05.640 --> 0:19:08.159 So I know there's a new feature you're working on 0:19:08.200 --> 0:19:12.639 for this year called match reports. Yes, what are match reports? 0:19:12.800 --> 0:19:17.359 It's our ability to succicktly tell the story of a match, 0:19:17.880 --> 0:19:21.359 so everything happens in five hours within that match down 0:19:21.440 --> 0:19:25.320 to a couple paragraphs. That really helps a user understand 0:19:25.440 --> 0:19:29.040 or a fan understand what just happened. Again, some key 0:19:29.080 --> 0:19:32.639 stats what's upcoming really help us with that storytelling. In 0:19:32.680 --> 0:19:35.280 the past when we have twenty two courts happening at 0:19:35.320 --> 0:19:37.520 a certain time, we would have to pick and choose 0:19:37.560 --> 0:19:40.000 which stories we think or which matches we think are 0:19:40.040 --> 0:19:42.000