Digital & Dirt
00:41:05 · Monica Ellingson, Ian Dallimore
[00:41:05] S1: No. No. I think... I mean, probably the Masters App is the the best example of that and, you know, being able to... You know, it's very difficult to get a ticket to the Masters. And, you know, we want to bring the beauty and the traditions behind Augusta National as well as the performance of the players, you know, and to create a... An elegant digital experience that not only bubbles up data, but, you know, makes you... Does capture some of the beauty of being there on the course. So it's extremely important, you know, thinking about, you know, supporting the Masters brand, all of the different iconic elements of that within a digital space while also pushing the the envelope behind innovation and bringing, you know, new first of a kind experiences to golf fans, you know, across the globe. So that's that's probably, you know, one of the... You know, and the fact that you can't bring your phones there either. So it's a completely virtual fan experience. And that's something that's, you know, always at the forefront of our minds of, you know, how continue to innovate? How do we continue to tell these data driven stories, yet preserve, you know, beauty within that and create something that is as elegant and as fantastic as the azaleas at Augusta National? [00:42:30] S0: What which partnership came first? The US Open, USTA or the Augusta? [00:42:35] S1: I think it's actually Wimbledon is the oldest. [00:42:38] S0: Oh, Okay.
00:42:38 · Ian Dallimore, Monica Ellingson
[00:42:38] S0: Oh, Okay. [00:42:38] S1: So so yeah, you know, both the USTA and the partnership there and Wimbledon are over thirty years. But I think it was Wimbledon first, then the US Open, and then the Masters soon after. But but all of them, you know, are are around the thirty year mark for a partnership. [00:42:55] S0: Yeah. And I guess the question comes a little bit deeper because it's... Do you find taking data from certain sporting events and then seeing like, hey, this makes sense to move this. Obviously, the sports, the data itself different, but how you present that data. Does the tennis side help with the golf side and vice versa? Like, oh, here's a stat we haven't thought of. Like, I think about the swing quality. Like, do you then transition that over to the swing quality in golf? Like, do those transition over in a way or at least inspire to think about different data points that are similar?
00:43:29 · Monica Ellingson
[00:43:29] S1: Yeah. I think it I think it inspires, you know, you know, because there are themes that are consistent across, you know, all of the different brands or challenges even that we're trying to... That we face. You know, one of them I've already mentioned in terms of, you know, being able to free up, you know, valuable editorial resources, you know, to focus on storytelling and using their creative energy. You know, another is, you know, representing the the the brand and its own voice. But in terms of inspiration, yes. You know, because at, you know, all three of the the major partnerships that I talked about, US Open, Wimbledon, and The Masters, we're lucky that we have vast volume... Access to vast volumes of data. So we're able to process that, analyze that, and help with storytelling and, you know, auto generational content within that space. But just thinking about sports as a whole, you mentioned momentum. Momentum is something that I can't even think of a sport that wouldn't have some kind of a momentum shift. So and thinking about the different components of performance. So performance in terms of physical readiness. How does the weather contribute? How does the physical space, the environment contribute to a player's performance? What about mental toughness? I mean, that's something that I've been chasing for over a decade in terms of being able to better capture and analyze a a stat or insights related to to mental toughness. And, you know, all of these things definitely inspire us.
00:45:07 · Ian Dallimore, Monica Ellingson
[00:45:07] S0: So obviously, tennis men... Mental toughness is key. I mean, fact that those women and men play four to six plus hours deep into the night sometimes is mind blowing to me. But I just wrote a note down, the mental toughness side on golf and then tying in that historical data of a golfer that's been at Augusta, you know, the last seven years and on this hole, they did this, this, and this. So for you guys to dissect that down, like, that's wildly exciting as a fan to be like, woah, I had no idea that Rory was at this hole four years ago and he eagled it. So today, statistically, what is his chances of eagling here and then watching the momentum and maybe it start sprinkling. See, look, my mind works like yours. [00:45:51] S1: See, you're already brainstorming. [00:45:52] S0: What else can we do? I know. Can I come intern for you? Let's do this. [00:45:55] S1: You just stepped inside my mind right there. I know.
00:45:57 · Ian Dallimore
[00:45:57] S0: Right? It's fun and terrifying as well as mine. But the thing that you talked about, which I love in shifting over to The Masters and and Augusta, when you open that app and, you know, I had the US Open app just because we met, and I was like, I'm gonna download this and actually see their work in life to at least prepare for the podcast. But The Masters, I've I've had that app downloaded. I've never been been invited a few times, haven't gone, which most people are like, you're crazy. I know. Trust me. We have a we have a Lamar office in Augusta. We have digital right outside of the gates. Like, it's... I don't want say it's easy for me to go, but I have had opportunities. But to your point, like, I'm looking to my left here because I have a little iPad stand where when you turn on and open that app, you're not just showing data and statistics and just the basic players when they tee off. To your point, it opens up. And maybe because I'm also a geek and I love landscape architect and all that thing, but it's almost like you guys have also captured the brand itself within the app and expressing each hole and the importance of it and the history of it. It... I feel like in that one, you're storytelling more than anything beyond just stats and data. Like, you're you're bringing to life. And to your point, like, the accessibility of fans to the Masters is extremely difficult to get to, but it lives right inside your your phone in such a meaningful way that that's more than just a typical sports app.
00:47:23 · Monica Ellingson, Ian Dallimore
[00:47:23] S1: Well, thank you so much for that on behalf of my team and also, you know, the... You know, Augusta National hires, you know, some of the very best photographers in the world. Their editorial teams are unbelievably talented. So I I feel so lucky to work around people who are able to capture, you know, such beauty and to put put it together in such an elegant way. I mean, it's... It takes an army to pull that off, to be honest. And, you know, so I'm I'm I'm glad. Thank you for that on the path of everybody behind me. [00:47:58] S0: Of course. Yeah. So let's pivot over. So as we kind of... The last ten minutes here, you know, your mind, as you had mentioned, your team is constantly bringing new things. But, you know, with AI becoming more prevalent, to your point, like, on the team needs to have some sort of use and the tool of it. But where do you see the biggest opportunities for AI and data in sports? And I know you're harnessing it already, but what are those new opportunities moving forward?