NEW YORK :The U.S. Tennis Association has launched a dedicated credential program for social media creators at this year’s U.S. Open as part of a drive to court younger audiences, the USTA’s social media lead said.
Roughly 50 creators spanning food and beverage, lifestyle, entertainment, fashion and family niches have been accredited and are producing content at the tournament, Jonathan Zipper, who oversees social media at the USTA, told Reuters.
“We have a wide array of creators generating organic content through their unique lenses,” he said.
“They highlight all of the activities around the U.S. Open, not just the tennis, which of course is the centerpiece, but we’ve built what is essentially a creator playground on the grounds.
“So why not open it up to more creators to come showcase the U.S. Open and the sport of tennis?”
Cory Muroff, co-founder of OOTD, is documenting fashion at this year’s tournament and said the credential has given him easier access to the grounds plus perks like food and beverage.
“It just so happened that we were looking to explore doing coverage of the U.S. Open and they were looking to bring more creators to the program,” he said.
Muroff said OOTD, an acronym for “outfit of the day,” is focused on capturing stylish tennis fans as they stroll the grounds, and applauded the tournament for opening the door to new media.
“Creator coverage is really important and as the years go on, it’s going to be even more important,” he said.
“It’s really cool to see USTA be the first to do this type of coverage and I think other festivals, events and sporting leagues, they’re going to catch on.”
Alex Rogers, OOTD’s other co-creator, said they are seeing spikes in engagement and views, as well as an increase in feedback from fans during the tournament.
“We have people in our comments who are like, ‘How did you miss my outfit today?'” he said.
“We definitely love seeing that and we try to capture everybody.”
In terms of the USTA’s goals, Zipper said the focus is on overall engagement across its channels rather than follower growth alone.
The U.S. Open generated a record 2.3 billion engagements through its platforms over last year’s three-week period, he said. The organization has set a higher internal target for this year but declined to disclose the figure.
“We feel confident we can achieve that this year with the momentum that we’ve got,” he said.
The U.S. Open is drawing inspiration from Wimbledon’s successful social media approach this season, he said.
Wimbledon social channels produced 5,844 content posts throughout the grasscourt season, leading to 144 million engagements, up 26 per cent year-on-year, and 2.7 billion video views, a 71 per cent jump.
Wimbledon’s social media audience grew by 2.3 million and now stands at 23.5 million in total, a 12 per cent increase year-on-year, according to the tournament.
Zipper said the USTA credential program for social media creators was likely to return again next year.
“We understand how media consumption is changing, and content creators are a key part of that,” he said.
