Driving Record Sales
for The Open
Golf's Original Championship, The Open, is where nature is pitted against the very best of the best. It’s where champions must set aside what came before.
Software development, Performance optimization and Enhanced live support
The Open is the most prestigious championship in professional golf, renowned worldwide for delivering over 150 years of iconic sporting moments. Each summer, The R&A’s flagship event attracts the world’s top golfers and the attention of sports fans around the globe. We are proud to work with The R&A to transform the experience across their digital platforms, including areas such as theopen.com, live scoring, and ticketing.
THE OPEN
OVERVIEW
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These efforts addressed the challenges of scaling up for event traffic, enabling real-time scoring, and enhancing the ticketing processes for The Open.
Challenges
During championship week, www.theopen.com attracts millions of unique users and generates billions of server requests, requiring high levels of flexibility and scalability.
Providing real-time scores for The Open on TheOpen.com and The Open mobile apps (iOS and Android) required a reliable, real-time data management system.
Integrating a new ticketing system that could handle high demand and improve user experience was crucial, particularly in achieving a sell-out Open.
Solutions
To meet scalability needs, we utilised Sitecore for flexible content management and deployed multiple Amazon Web Services machines dedicated to handling diverse platform services.
We adopted a serverless architecture using Azure Functions and Azure Service Bus to efficiently manage real-time data distribution and maintain message order integrity.
We integrated a new ticketing system from Secutix, enhancing the user journey and achieving record-breaking sales for The Open, including selling out Championship Day Tickets six weeks after launch.
one digital transformation.
Others
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24/7 Event Support
TEC provides round-the-clock support during The Open Championship, ensuring the smooth operation of digital services and immediate assistance.
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Ticketing
Our team integrated and managed a robust ticketing system for The Open, achieving record-breaking sales and enhancing the user experience with seamless online ticket purchasing.
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Live Scoring
We deliver real-time scoring updates for The Open, utilising a serverless architecture and Azure Functions to ensure accurate and timely information for fans worldwide.
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Streaming
TEC enabled seamless streaming experiences during The Open, allowing fans to watch live coverage and highlights directly on TheOpen.com and the mobile apps.
THE OPEN
PROJECT’S RESULTS
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Results
This project not only supported the seamless execution of a major golf championship but also set a new standard for managing large-scale sports events digitally.
• Scalable Multisite Architecture
Used Sitecore on AWS to implement a scalable multisite architecture, enabling efficient management of The Open’s digital presence and responsive content delivery.
• Real-Time Scoring Platform
Integrated a real-time scoring platform using Azure Functions, delivering rapid leaderboard updates with response times under 250ms, enhancing fan engagement throughout the event.
• Enhanced Ticketing System
Launched a new ticketing system in partnership with Secutix, achieving a historic sell-out for the first time. Ticket sales increased conversion rates by 126%, establishing a seamless user journey.
• Data-Driven Marketing Insights
Provided comprehensive analytics capabilities, capturing over 260,000 emails and enabling content personalisation strategies, empowering the marketing team to build stronger connections with fans across various demographics.