IBM Announces Long-Term Renewal as the Official AI, Cloud and Digital Transformation Partner for The All England Lawn Tennis Club

Rhea-AI Summary

IBM (NYSE: IBM) and The All England Lawn Tennis Club announced a multi‑year renewal of their long‑standing technology partnership on January 6, 2026, extending 36 years of collaboration to expand Wimbledon's global digital reach.

Key metrics: the partnership produced a 16% year‑on‑year increase in engagement across platforms in 2025; more than 20 million fans followed Wimbledon via the app and website; the app saw a 19% engagement rise and an average 4.9‑star app store rating. IBM will continue to provide AI capabilities via watsonx and related digital experiences, supported by an IBM/Morning Consult survey finding that 86% of tennis fans value AI features.

Positive

• Multi‑year renewal preserves 36 years of partnership
• Engagement +16% YoY (2025) across platforms
• Audience scale: 20 million fans followed via app and website
• App metrics: +19% engagement and 4.9‑star average rating
• 86% of tennis fans see value in AI features (survey)

Negative

• None.

Key Figures

Partnership duration 36 years Length of IBM–All England Club technology collaboration

Engagement growth 16% Year-on-year increase in engagement across all Wimbledon platforms in 2025

Digital fans More than 20 million Fans following Wimbledon via app and website in 2025

App engagement growth 19% Year-on-year increase in engagement for the Wimbledon app

App rating 4.9 stars Average Wimbledon app rating in app stores

AI feature support 86% Tennis fans seeing value in AI-powered features per IBM–Morning Consult survey

Market Reality Check

$302.47 Last Close

Volume Volume 4,141,980 vs 20-day average 3,646,375 (relative volume 1.14x), showing elevated trading ahead of this AI partnership news. normal

Technical IBM at $294.97, trading above its 200-day MA of $272.27 and about 9.21% below its 52-week high of $324.9.

Peers on Argus

Peers show mixed moves: ACN +1.21%, CTSH +0.52%, FIS +1.94%, while FI -0.17% and INFY -1.23%. IBM’s positive move of 1.19% appears more stock-specific than a clean sector-wide trend.

Common Catalyst Select IT services peers, such as Accenture, also reported AI-related partnership news, reinforcing AI as a shared strategic focus.

Historical Context

Date	Event	Sentiment	Move	Catalyst
Dec 11	AI learning tools	Positive	-0.6%	Global AI-powered personalized learning partnership with Pearson using watsonx.
Dec 08	AI acquisition	Positive	+0.4%	Planned Confluent acquisition to build smart data platform for generative AI.
Dec 08	AI airline deal	Positive	+0.4%	Riyadh Air partnership to launch an AI-native airline using watsonx.
Dec 05	Regulatory status	Positive	-0.0%	Designation as critical ICT third-party provider under EU DORA.
Nov 20	Quantum alliance	Positive	+0.7%	Plan with Cisco to build a network of fault-tolerant quantum computers.

Pattern Detected

Recent AI and strategic partnership announcements generally coincided with modest positive price reactions, with occasional divergences where upbeat AI news saw slight declines.

Recent Company History

Over the last few months, IBM has consistently highlighted AI-driven partnerships and infrastructure moves. AI collaborations in education (Pearson) and aviation (Riyadh Air), an AI-related acquisition of Confluent, and quantum computing work with Cisco all underscored a data and AI strategy. IBM was also designated a critical ICT provider under EU DORA. Today’s renewal as Wimbledon’s AI and cloud partner fits this pattern of using watsonx and cloud to power high-visibility digital experiences across industries.

Market Pulse Summary

This announcement extends IBM’s 36-year role powering Wimbledon’s digital experience, now emphasizing AI and cloud through watsonx. Reported metrics, including a 16% engagement increase and more than 20 million digital fans in 2025, highlight traction for AI-driven features. In context with IBM’s recent AI partnerships across multiple industries, investors may watch for concrete revenue contributions, adoption trends for these fan experiences, and how such showcase deployments support IBM’s broader AI strategy.

Key Terms

AI technical

"the Official AI, Cloud and Digital Transformation Partner for The All England"

Artificial intelligence (AI) is technology that enables machines to mimic human thinking and learning, allowing them to analyze information, recognize patterns, and make decisions. For investors, AI matters because it can improve how businesses operate, create new products, or identify opportunities faster and more accurately than humans alone, potentially impacting company success and market trends.

AI-powered technical

"the first integration of enhanced AI-powered solutions in 2017, IBM and the"

"AI-powered" describes technology that uses artificial intelligence to perform tasks, make decisions, or analyze information automatically. It’s similar to having a highly skilled assistant that can learn from data, recognize patterns, and improve over time, helping to make processes faster and more accurate. For investors, this means better insights and more efficient operations, potentially leading to smarter investment choices.

watsonx technical

"deep AI capabilities of IBM watsonx. In 2025, these efforts contributed"

watsonx is an enterprise artificial intelligence platform and suite of tools designed to build, train and deploy large language models and other AI applications for businesses. Investors care because platforms like this can lower costs and speed product development across many industries—think of it as a factory that helps companies create smart software faster, which can boost revenue potential and change competitive dynamics.

AI-generated analysis. Not financial advice.

The partnership will see new and enhanced digital experiences served up for fans of The Championships, Wimbledon, enabled by IBM-led transformation and powered by AI

LONDON, Jan. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- IBM (NYSE: IBM) and The All England Lawn Tennis Club today announced a multi-year renewal of their long-standing, landmark technology partnership. From the launch of the Wimbledon website in 1995 and the mobile application in 2009, to the first integration of enhanced AI-powered solutions in 2017, IBM and the All England Club have collaborated for 36 years to deepen global fan engagement across Wimbledon's world-class digital platforms.

The successful partnership between IBM and the All England Club has long set the standard for creating engaging fan-facing features that have raised the bar for tech innovation in sport. Building on more than three decades of continuous innovation, the new agreement is focused on initiatives to expand the event's global reach and achieve a deeper fan engagement across Wimbledon's digital ecosystem in 2026 and beyond.

Teams from IBM and the All England Club work together year-round to co-create unique fan experiences – such as Live Likelihood to Win and Match Chat – that combine the significant quantity of data generated during The Championships with the deep AI capabilities of IBM watsonx. In 2025, these efforts contributed to a 16% year-on-year increase in engagement across all platforms, with more than 20 million fans closely following all the grass court action via the app and website. The app alone saw a 19% increase in engagement and received an outstanding average rating of 4.9 stars in app stores.

The partnership has also won multiple awards, including the All England Club being recognised as 'Sports Organisation of the Year' at the 2025 Sports Technology Awards, for the innovative use of AI and technology to transform the Wimbledon fan experience.

"We are delighted to have agreed a multi-year extension to our long-standing partnership with IBM," said Usama Al-Qassab, Marketing & Commercial Director, The All England Lawn Tennis Club. "For 36 years, IBM and the All England Club have embraced innovation and created world-leading digital experiences to bring our fans closer to The Championships. As we look to attract the next generation of Wimbledon fans from around the world, the AI-powered capabilities of IBM will be key to ensuring our future digital experiences are relevant, personalised and engaging."

"The All England Club is a visionary organisation, delivering one of the most globally recognisable properties in sport and broader culture. We are thrilled to continue working in lockstep as partners to serve up a world-class digital experience, driven by leading edge data and AI technology," said Jonathan Adashek, Senior Vice President, Marketing and Communications, IBM. "Whether onsite at SW19 or following from any corner of the globe for years to come, hundreds of millions of tennis fans can rely on having interactive digital features, powered by watsonx, to stay connected to the beauty, drama and excitement of The Championships."

According to a new global survey from IBM and Morning Consult released last summer, 86% of tennis fans worldwide see value in AI-powered features, with real-time insights and personalised highlights central to how they engage.

Together, IBM and the All England Club remain committed to developing new technologies that make The Championships more accessible and immersive for millions of fans, helping tennis to thrive exponentially on the global stage.

About IBM
IBM is a leading provider of global hybrid cloud and AI, and consulting expertise. We help clients in more than 175 countries capitalize on insights from their data, streamline business processes, reduce costs and gain the competitive edge in their industries. Thousands of governments and corporate entities in critical infrastructure areas such as financial services, telecommunications and healthcare rely on IBM's hybrid cloud platform and Red Hat OpenShift to affect their digital transformations quickly, efficiently and securely. IBM's breakthrough innovations in AI, quantum computing, industry-specific cloud solutions and consulting deliver open and flexible options to our clients. All of this is backed by IBM's long-standing commitment to trust, transparency, responsibility, inclusivity and service.

Visit www.ibm.com for more information.

About The All England Lawn Tennis Club 
The All England Lawn Tennis Club's principal activity is the organisation and staging of The Championships, Wimbledon, the oldest of the four Grand Slam tournaments. Founded in 1868, the Club is responsible for maintaining the traditions of Wimbledon while embracing innovation to ensure that The Championships remains at the pinnacle of sport. Each year, The Championships welcomes half a million fans onsite and millions more through global broadcast and digital channels. For more information, visit www.wimbledon.com and follow @wimbledon on all major social media platforms.

Media Contacts:
Sunny Tucker, sunny.tucker@ibm.com +44 (0) 7388 387689
AELTC Communications, communications@aeltc.com, +44 (0)20 8944 1066

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SOURCE IBM

FAQ

What did IBM announce about Wimbledon on January 6, 2026 (IBM)?

IBM announced a multi‑year renewal as the official AI, cloud and digital transformation partner for The All England Lawn Tennis Club.

How long have IBM and the All England Club partnered (IBM)?

The companies have partnered for 36 years, dating back to 1990 with the Wimbledon website launch in 1995 noted as an early milestone.

What engagement results did IBM report for Wimbledon in 2025 (IBM)?

IBM reported a 16% YoY increase in engagement across platforms, with over 20 million fans following via the app and website.

How did the Wimbledon app perform in 2025 (IBM)?

The app recorded a 19% rise in engagement in 2025 and an average app store rating of 4.9 stars.

What AI technology will IBM provide for Wimbledon (IBM)?

IBM will continue to power Wimbledon digital features using watsonx and related AI and data tools to deliver real‑time insights and personalised experiences.

What proportion of tennis fans value AI features according to IBM survey (IBM)?

A joint IBM and Morning Consult survey found that 86% of tennis fans worldwide see value in AI‑powered features.