ATP and ATP Media win innovation recognition at Yahoo Sports Technology ceremony

ATP and ATP Media have been announced as the winners of the Yahoo Sports Technology Award for Most Innovative Sponsor, Rights Holder or Governing Body for their joint submission for Next Gen ATP Finals. 

The Sport Technology Awards are voted for by an esteemed panel of judges comprising international figures from sports and technology. 

The inaugural Next Gen ATP Finals took place in Milan, November 2017.  The event, organised by the ATP in partnership with the Italian Tennis Federation and the Italian National Olympic Committee, is the season-ending tournament for the world’s best 21-and-under tennis players. 

As well as providing a season-long platform to promote the stars of tomorrow, the tournament was designed to experiment with rules, innovation and technological changes to enhance the experience of fans both on-site and across all broadcast and digital channels.

ATP and ATP Media’s winning submission outlined some of the recent rule changes and innovations, with the aim of creating a high-tempo, cutting edge and TV-friendly product.

Hawk-Eye Live line calling, player coaching using headsets, and live match stats available to players and coaches, were some of the innovations that ATP Media incorporated into its host broadcast. 

Ross Hutchins, ATP chief player officer and Next Gen ATP Finals tournament director, collected the award on behalf of ATP and said: “We are delighted that our efforts to innovate in our sport particularly through cutting edge technology, together with our broadcast partner ATP Media, has been recognized by the Sports Technology Awards.”

Dominic Gresset, ATP Media’s executive producer, was also there to collect the award and added: “Working so closely with the ATP on this event was fantastic.  To be able to experiment with rule changes and technology and successfully deliver such an innovative product for our audiences was really rewarding.”