How the Australian Open became a tech incubator

Every year, Tennis Australia CEO Craig Tiley issues a challenge to his team that would make most executives—and their teams—break into a cold sweat: Reinvent 50% of the Australian Open. Not subtle changes or a few tweaks. Half of everything, so no two tournaments are ever the same.

Today, to help satisfy Tiley’s mandate, the event has evolved into a three-pronged innovation machine. There’s an in-house R&D lab that’s been developing analytics, broadcast, and fan engagement advancements for more than 15 years...