Gentlemen’s Championship Ranks as Second Most-Viewed Tennis Telecast in ESPN History
Multiple Events Experience Summer Ratings Spike
(espnpressroom.com) The 2019 Wimbledon Championships on ESPN averaged 877,000 viewers (P2+), an increase of 30% over last year (675,000), according to Nielsen. The two weeks of coverage included nearly 150 hours from London. Eleven of the 13 days experienced an increase in viewership.
The most-viewed two days came on Championship Weekend – 3,329,000 for the Gentlemen’s Championship and Ladies’ Doubles Championship on Sunday – ESPN’s second-most viewed tennis telecast in history, and an average of 1,197,000 for Saturday’s Ladies’ Championship and the Men’s Doubles Championship. Sunday’s Men’s Final telecast was the most-viewed since the Federer vs. Murray final in 2012 with 3,300,000 viewers, an increase of 211% from last year’s Men’s final telecast.
Additional Summer Event Increases
Additional ESPN summer events that have seen viewership growth:
Major League Baseball’s Home Run Derby which averaged 6,201,000 viewers (P2+), an increase of 4% over last year (5,971,000).
Formula 1—through ten live races this season— has averaged 677,000 viewers (P2+), an increase of 18% over last year (574,000).
NBA Summer League games averaged 601,000 viewers on ESPN, an increase of 35% from last year.
NBA Summer League matchup between New Orleans and New York averaged 1,641,000 viewers (P2+), making it the most-viewed NBA Summer League game ever across ESPN networks.
Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest which averaged 1,153,000 viewers (P2+), an increase of 4% from last year (1,114,000).
LAFC enables conversational commerce for fans through Apple Business Chat powered by Satisfi Labs
Los Angeles, CA – July 18, 2019 (PRNewswire) Satisfi Labs and the Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC) announced today a new partnership to expand their virtual assistant platform, with Apple Business Chat, a new way for users to communicate directly with businesses using the Messages app on iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Watch. This new Order-Ahead offering is designed to enhance the fan experience at Banc of California Stadium, expanding upon an existing relationship between LAFC and Satisfi Labs forged in 2018, in which the team’s in-app virtual assistant, Olly, uses Satisfi’s AI-powered Knowledge Management Platform. LAFC is the first MLS team to utilize Apple Business Chat to enable conversational commerce.
The new Order Ahead feature includes food and beverage pre-ordering, allowing customers to order and purchase food seamlessly in the chat flow and pick up their food at their convenience, ensuring customers never miss match time. The new feature is a collaboration between the LAFC, Satisfi Labs, Tapin2 and their concessionaire, Legends.
Until now, customers could only access Olly and LAFC’s deep knowledge base through the LAFC app. With the Satisfi Labs Knowledge Management Platform available on Apple Business Chat, customers can now communicate directly with LAFC’s Olly using the Messages app on any Apple device. Satisfi Labs ensures the information that’s available through the conversational search is accurate and engaging, improving the customer and event experience.
“We want our customers to feel in full control of their experience when they come to an LAFC match. Satisfi Labs has allowed us to provide a seamless, clean integration with Apple Business Chat, which gives us a powerful and engaging direct connection with our customers. The majority of our customers use iOS, and we always want to exceed their expectations when they come to see a match. Apple Business Chat makes communicating with LAFC as easy as messaging a friend, so we expect it will quickly become our customers’ preferred customer service channel.” said Christian Lau, Vice President of Information Technology.
“We’re excited to expand our offerings in AI conversational commerce with an organization that is forward-looking and always putting the customer first. We have seen incredible engagement and success with Olly. This new offering in The Banc of California Stadium, a state of the art facility, will continue the legacy of LAFC elevating the customer experience through valuable and successful interactions,” added Don White, CEO of Satisfi Labs.
To start an Apple Business Chat to Order-Ahead, customers can open their camera to scan a QR code in the stadium. A conversation with Olly will open instantly in the Messages app, and users can take their time responding when it’s convenient.
Apple Business Chat is available in beta for users and businesses worldwide and is built into iOS 11.3 and higher. For more information visit: apple.com/ios/business-chat. With Business Chat, customers can always reach a live person and are always in control of whether they share any contact information with a business.
About Satisfi Labs
Satisfi Labs is an AI-powered Knowledge Management Platform. Its technology makes brand data accessible and conversational. The platform powers chatbot, app, web and voice touchpoints. Satisfi Labs creates unique customer experiences for leaders in Sports, Entertainment, Tourism & Retail. More information can be found at www.satisfilabs.com.
ABOUT LOS ANGELES FOOTBALL CLUB (LAFC):
The Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC) is the newest MLS soccer club serving the greater Los Angeles area. Coming off a record-breaking inaugural season, LAFC is dedicated to building a world-class soccer club that represents the diversity of Los Angeles and is committed to delivering an unrivaled experience for fans. LAFC’s ownership group is comprised of local leaders and innovators of industry with intellectual capital, financial prowess, operations expertise and success in the fields of entertainment, sports, technology and media. LAFC is invested in the world’s game and Los Angeles, constructing and developing the 22,000 seat Banc of California Stadium and a top-flight training center on the campus of Cal-State Los Angeles. For more information about LAFC, visit www.LAFC.com and www.LAFC.com/presskit.
