US Open Expands Creator Credentials and Digital Strategy to Drive Commercial Growth

The United States Tennis Association (USTA) is scaling its digital and commercial footprint for the upcoming tournament, approving credentials for close to 100 content creators, almost doubling the 54 credentialed for the initiative’s debut last year.

With the 2025 launch carefully ideated over a prolonged period, the strategy recognises that traditional media and independent digital creators capture distinct audiences across global markets.

Explaining the rationale behind the expansion, USTA director of media operations, Jeanmarie Daly, said: “We realised we live in a world where traditional media and content creators reach different audiences in different ways.”

“Our goal for the program was to have the broadest possible spectrum of coverage for the tournament,” Daly said. 

Alongside roughly 15 to 20 creators producing content directly on behalf of the organisation, the internal digital strategy has yielded staggering metrics.

Noting the rise in engagement, USTA senior director of social media, Jonathan Zipper, noted: “A few years ago, our owned and operated US Open social accounts were driving around 1 billion interactions total throughout the entirety of the event.”

“Two years ago, we drove 2.3 billion, and then last year we broke another record and drove 3.1 billion,” Zipper stated. 

Reflecting on the relationship between digital innovation and event prestige, Zipper added: “I think everything works together collectively to make the event the cultural moment that it is on the calendar at this point.”

“The exponential growth goes hand in hand with the sport of tennis and the tournament itself,” Zipper said.

Last year’s cohort generated more than 5.5 million engagements across social platforms, focusing heavily on the lifestyle, retail, and social dimensions of the event alongside traditional on-court coverage.

To build on this momentum, the 2026 program introduces a dedicated category for social media teams at traditional media outlets, allowing them to capture social-first content alongside their editorial colleagues.

Furthermore, the USTA has expanded credentialing to prominent podcasts, such as Andy Roddick’s Served, which will record live from the Flushing Meadows grounds during Fan Week from August 23 to 30.

With YouTube emerging as a core focus area through branded initiatives like the five-episode series Rally the Boroughs, the tournament continues to cement its status as a major cultural and commercial property.

Following a record-breaking 2025 attendance of 1.14 million, this creator integration positions the commercial enterprise for continued audience expansion worldwide.

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