At the 10th Annual Tennis Industry Association Tennis Forum, held August 28, it was reported that total U.S. tennis participation grew 0.6% from 2015 to 2016, with a 7.2% increase in youth tennis players and a 16.7% increase in Cardio Tennis players. But millennials remain an elusive group, as they are “less active, addicted to digital devices and are ‘samplers,’” meaning they don’t stick with one sport or activity.
The 10th Annual Tennis Industry Association (TIA) Tennis Forum was held in New York City on August 28, the first day of play at the US Open, and the audience of nearly 300 tennis industry leaders heard the latest news about the state of the tennis industry, updates on grow-the-game initiatives, and business insights, along with a spotlight on tennis innovation.
TIA President Jeff Williams kicked off the event, which took place at the Intercontinental New York Barclay, the official hotel of the men’s ATP Tour. He introduced Katrina Adams, the president, CEO and chairman of the board of the U.S. Tennis Association (USTA), who discussed the “strategic transformation” and renovations at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, the new youth tennis initiative called “Net Generation” that is “providing a safer environment” for youngsters, and the USTA National Campus in Orlando, Fla.
Kurt Kamperman, USTA chief executive–Community Tennis and National Campus, spoke about how, while the “obesity epidemic gets all the attention,” the bigger issue is that “we live in a sedentary society,” in which adults and children simply aren’t moving.
“How are we going to win with kids?” asked Kamperman. “We need to go where the kids are—schools and after-school programs. We also need to engage with kids and parents digitally.”
Kamperman spoke about Net Generation, the new youth platform for tennis that is rolling out to consumers during the US Open. Kamperman also talked about the challenges of bringing more millennials to tennis. “Youth aren’t our only challenge today,” he said. “Millennials are less active, addicted to digital devices and are ‘samplers,’” meaning they don’t stick with one sport or activity. For millennials, “tennis needs to be social, fun and fitness-oriented—programs like ‘Sets in the City’ and Cardio Tennis. The only way we all win is to create new players. The USTA can’t grow tennis on its own. If you’re waiting for the USTA to make things better, you’ll be waiting a long time. We need everyone all in.”
TIA Executive Director Jolyn de Boer and Sports Marketing Surveys Vice President Keith Storey presented the latest industry research. The most recent data by the Physical Activity Council (PAC) shows that total U.S. tennis participation grew 0.6 percent from 2015 to 2016, to a total of 18.08 million players. Among the bright spots is a 7.2 percent increase in youth tennis players and a 16.7 percent increase in Cardio Tennis players over the past year. However, total “play occasions” fell in the past year, down 4.8 percent to 425 million. And equipment sales continue to decline for racquets, balls and strings.
While overall participation increased slightly, “core” participation—those who play at least 10 times a year—is down 13 percent over the last eight years. “Core players account for 81 percent of the money spent in the ‘tennis economy’ and 93 percent of all tennis play occasions,” de Boer said.
The increase in “casual” participation, Storey said, is partly due to millennials who “don’t like to commit to the old business models we subscribe to.” In the past year, Storey added, “we gained 3.8 million players, but lost 3.5 million—still a ‘leaky bucket.’” But, “latent demand” for tennis remains strong. The PAC study showed that nearly 15 million non-players are interested in tennis, and another 12.7 million Americans “consider themselves players” but may not have been on court in the last two years.
The “Tennis Innovation Challenge” took center stage, with five-minute presentations by the three finalists in the competition: AccuTennis, an interactive line-calling system; In/Out, a portable line-calling device that uses radar technologies; and Playmate iGenie, a ball machine with innovative calibration and programming. More than 30 new products and services applied for the Innovation Challenge. The panel of judges voted Silicon Valley start-up In/Out the winner, which is a $199 device that attaches to the net post and calls lines, analyzes shot placement and statistics, and records HD video. It even connects to an Android or iOS device.
In the Future of Tennis & Tech sessions, topics included wearable tech, virtual reality, data analytics, e-sports, artificial intelligence, augmented reality, drones and more. Tech companies also displayed their products and services at a “Tech Fair” event.
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