SIGNALS: a new way to experience Wimbledon

For decades, watching Wimbledon has meant following the score. But the most important parts of a match, the shifts in momentum, pressure, and performance, often sit beneath the surface. SIGNALS brings those moments into view and lets audiences take part as they happen.

Wimbledon has always been a shared experience, watched by millions, debated in real time, and defined by moments everyone remembers. For me (like most), it’s that epic match between Rafa Nadal and Roger Federer in 2008. But it’s still largely been something you watch. SIGNALS introduces a new layer, bringing audiences directly into the match, together, as it happens. No distractions, no second screen, it’s right there on the live content.

Audience expectations have changed. Watching sport is no longer enough; people want to respond, interact, and feel part of what’s happening in the moment. Live sport remains one of the last truly shared cultural experiences, but it has largely been one-way on the TV screen.

SIGNALS changes that, making it more participative, more responsive, and more collective.

SIGNALS is built directly onto live Wimbledon coverage, bringing insight and interaction into the same frame as the action. It combines real-time audience participation with match insight to create a shared experience that unfolds alongside the match. This is not a second-screen experience. It’s a shift in how live sport is experienced.

Participation sits at the centre of SIGNALS. Through live data-driven quizzes, audiences can respond to key moments as they happen, reacting to turning points and instantly seeing how others across the UK are responding. You’re not just watching a match unfold, you’re seeing the collective read of it evolve in real time.

It turns individual responses into something shared, revealing the live pulse of the audience as the match develops.

Alongside this, SIGNALS introduces a new level of match understanding. Using the All England Club’s live ball-tracking data, it delivers real-time insights through on-screen overlays, helping audiences see how momentum shifts, where pressure builds, and how performance changes point by point.

These insights are delivered through a set of simple, live features built into the experience. At the centre is a dominance graph, updating continuously to show which player is in control and how momentum is shifting.

Within this graph, interactive key moments emphasise turning points. Audiences can explore them to see what drove the change, including winners, unforced errors, and the detail behind those shots, making it easier to understand not just what happened, but why.

A dedicated winners view shows which shots are working for each player, giving a clearer picture of how points are being built and where players are finding success. Serve performance cards break down key aspects of the serve in a player comparable way. Plus, an animated serve speed overlay reacts instantly to every serve, highlighting new Wimbledon records if they’re reached. These insights are how fans start to see patterns, not just points.

At its core, SIGNALS is about helping people better understand what they’re watching, in the moment. Tennis produces a huge amount of data, but much of it has traditionally been out of reach during live play. SIGNALS turns that data into clear, timely stories that make matches easier to follow and more engaging.

For audiences, this means a clearer understanding of momentum and performance, more confidence in what they’re seeing, and a more engaging, rewarding experience.

For broadcasters, it creates something equally valuable. By combining interaction with live insight, SIGNALS builds a real-time feedback loop, showing how audiences are responding, what they’re engaging with, and how their understanding grows.

This helps broadcasters understand audience behaviour in real time, shape editorial decisions as matches unfold, and deliver more of the moments and insights audiences respond to. The result is a more responsive model of live content, one that adapts to how the match is experienced, not just how it is played on the court.

Built by BBC Research & Development’s FWD team, SIGNALS evolves alongside the match. Editorial teams can respond instantly to both on-court action and audience engagement, shaping a dynamic layer of content throughout the broadcast. The experience isn’t fixed, it adapts as the match progresses.

Wimbledon is defined by precision, momentum, and marginal gains, and is therefore the ideal stage. Matches turn on the slightest details, and the scale of the audience makes shared participation meaningful.

SIGNALS builds on a long-standing partnership between the BBC and The All England Lawn Tennis Club, approaching its 100-year milestone in 2027. That history reflects a commitment to bringing Wimbledon to audiences at scale, but also highlights how expectations are changing.

SIGNALS is part of a wider shift in that partnership, exploring new ways to develop the live experience. Created by the BBC and trialed across both BBC and Wimbledon platforms, it shows how data, interaction, and live storytelling can add a new layer while staying true to what makes the Championships distinctive. It changes Wimbledon for everyone, where casual fans can follow the match more easily, engaged fans gain deeper insight, and all audiences can take part and feel connected.

You will be able to experience SIGNALS coverage of Centre Court during the Wimbledon Championships from 29th June 2026 at bbc.co.uk/rd/signals.