Sportradar Heads Up ATP Safeguarding Tech
ATP, Tennis Data Innovations (TDI) and Sportradar have partnered to launch Safe Sport, a new service to address online abuse targeting professional tennis players.
The collaboration integrates AI moderation, education and investigation into a single service to protect athletes.
The service will be made available to the Top 250 ATP singles players and the Top 50-ranked doubles players, on a free and opt-in basis, starting this month.
Safe Sport combines AI technologies from sports data and technology business Sportradar and its partner, Arwen AI, to scan players’ social media channels for toxic and abusive comments, spam and bots across 29 languages. Flagged comments are automatically hidden in real time, protecting players and their followers from being exposed to offensive content.
In addition, Sportradar’s dedicated team of intelligence analysts will actively investigate threats and potential criminal comments to unmask those responsible, linking online activity to real-world consequences.
Players will also be offered an educational programme covering topics such as handling abuse, mitigating online risks and maintaining integrity on social media platforms.
Andrew Azzopardi, ATP Director of Safeguarding, commented, “The ATP is committed to safeguarding players and their wellbeing. This includes taking a proactive stance against online abuse, which has become a very important issue in the lives of modern athletes. This collaboration will ensure that tennis is playing its part in tackling this issue, and shining a light on the effects that harmful online discourse can have on our communities. We’re grateful for the support of TDI and the expertise of Sportradar in making this happen.”
Andreas Krannich, Executive Vice President, Sportradar Integrity Services, added, “This partnership is groundbreaking in sport as we’re bringing together AI-driven auto-moderation, education and investigative services for the first time. The Safe Sport solution offers players better protection from online harm, representing a significant leap forward in safeguarding mental and physical wellbeing, enabling them to concentrate on delivering their best performances.”
In December, Sportradar signed a multi-year deal with the ATP and Tennis Data Innovations (TDI), a joint venture formed between the global men’s tennis tour and its production subsidiary, ATP Media.
Through the agreement, the Switzerland-based firm holds global data and streaming rights for all ATP Tour events, as it aims to drive engagement and commercial growth for the sport.
Stay up to date with the world of sports business by subscribing to the Sport Industry Daily.
