Inside the US Open’s new YouTube reality dating series
Grand slam tennis is using everything from first-date shows to fashion influencer Morgan Riddle to hook Gen Z and expand its fan base
Over the course of the past week across the US Open’s grounds, eight couples went on their first dates – on camera.
They were all part of the tournament’s newest content creation venture, Game, Set, Matchmaker, the most recent play for Gen Z attention from the world of grand slam tennis. From Wimbledon to Flushing Meadows, the sport is starting to take risks in pursuit of a new generation of fans.
“We’re always looking for new ways to engage new audiences,” said Jonathan Zipper, the senior director of social media for the United States Tennis Association. The USTA governs tennis in the United States and runs the US Open. “In particular, Gen Z and millennials are a focus for us to bring into the sport of tennis. So we think about the different types of content that those demographics typically engage with and enjoy watching.”
The eight-episode YouTube series that made its debut on Sunday comes amid an explosive moment for dating shows. Love Island, Love is Blind and The Bachelor are just a few shows in the genre that have dominated among young American audiences in the past year.
More importantly for the USTA, it believes this type of thing can draw attention.
A year ago, the US Open got 2.3 billion engagements across its official social platforms during the three weeks of action – a record for the event. Thanks to tennis’ rising cultural capital, there are a lot of eyes on official tournament accounts. So the slams are starting to get creative, and employing outside personalities to ramp up content creation is a clear step.