Game, set, match

The GIST: The US Open’s main draws may be happening this week, but the year’s final Grand Slam drew historic crowds last week thanks to its Fan Week activations. On Friday, the United States Tennis Association (USTA) told Sports Business Journal it’s targeting a record crowd of 1M over a three-week period — and seems to be on the right track.

The week: Since 2017, the US Open has welcomed fans during qualifiers and practices, enticing them with free admission and fun, family-friendly activities. This year, Fan Week took place from August 19th to 25th after the USTA added an additional day, and included a concert, star-studded exhibitions, comic books, and even a block party.

• Last year’s event drew 157K attendees over six days, but the USTA is targeting 200K in 2024. Official totals aren’t out yet, but the record 47.8K in attendance for Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day is promising. If Fan Week accomplishes its goal and the main draw surpasses the 2023 record of 799K fans, the US Open could hit that 1M target. Ace.

The why: Per USTA data, Fan Week is an enticing advertisement for the US Open. In 2023, two-thirds of attendees planned to return for the main draw, with half of those respondents planning to buy their tickets after experiencing Fan Week. It also draws an affluent, family-oriented, and diverse crowd to the Open — half of last year’s visitors identified as people of color.

• The tournament has already been widely successful at converting one-time visitors into lifelong fans. This year’s Open saw a 98% subscriber renewal, booked up its suite inventory in April, and sold more tickets in the first hour of 2024 presale than throughout its first five days of presale in 2023.

• With such loyal buy-in, the USTA has been interested in how to further maximize sales — while it can’t add tennis matches, it can add activations like Fan Week to attract more people and give partners like American Express and ESPN more opportunities to engage with consumers.

Zooming out: Endeavors like Fan Week build a culture around the Open that makes tennis engaging and desirable, especially to new fans and their families. And it’s still ahead of the game: Last year’s Fan Week brought in nearly double what the Australian Open’s Opening Week drew in January.

• While other leagues have leaned into fan activations around marquee events, like the WNBA and NBA during their respective All-Star Weekends, they tend to be more focused on advertising. It’s worth offering quality, affordable experiences less centered on branding to get people in the door, as it can create devoted, long-term fans. Game, set, match.

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