There was a time when watching tennis meant sitting through changeovers, rain delays and those long gaps between sets with nothing but your own thoughts. You watched the ball, checked the scoreboard, and when play stopped, you just waited.
That era’s done.
Now a tennis match runs across two screens. The main one shows the action. The second—a phone, tablet or laptop—carries everything else. And what’s happening there is reshaping what it means to follow the game.
The Data on Modern Viewing
The data on multi-screen viewing during live sport is staggering. A 2024 report from Sports Media Lab found that 67 per cent of Grand Slam viewers use a second device during broadcasts. They are not all checking stats.
What fans do during matches:
- track live odds and head-to-head records
- argue about line calls on X (formerly Twitter)
- message friends about shots they just watched
- scroll through entirely unrelated content during breaks
The Australian Open, never one to lag behind, rolled out its own app in 2023 with real-time data built for the second screen. A point plays out on TV, then straight away the speed, spin and trajectory pop up on your phone. The app racked up 1.2 million downloads during the tournament.
What Happens in the Dead Time
Not every moment of a tennis broadcast is action. A changeover lasts 90 seconds. A rain delay can stretch for hours. Even the most dedicated fan needs something to fill those gaps.
For a growing number of Australian viewers, the second screen during tennis has become a space for short-form entertainment that fits neatly between points. For many fans, online casinos in Australia have become one of the platforms they turn to during the quiet moments. The pause before a tiebreak, the long wait for a medical timeout, the stretch between the women’s final and the men’s.
Australian casino online caters specifically to the local market, understanding that fans here want something that loads fast and respects their time. Casino online offers sessions that mirror the rhythm of a tennis match: short bursts of engagement that fit between the action.
And Aussie online casino platforms have noticed that traffic spikes align perfectly with changeovers and rain delays—the moments when the main screen goes quiet.
Technology on the Court and Beyond
The same tech changing how fans follow tennis is also reshaping how it’s played and judged. Hawk-Eye, brought in back in 2001, turned line calls into something you can see and argue in real time.
IBM’s AI highlights now spin up custom recaps minutes after a match wraps. Players lean on data too, breaking down opponents before they even step on court.
For fans, it makes the sport feel easier to get into and more layered at the same time. Every decision’s there to unpack — why that down-the-line backhand over a cross-court slice, or the odds of a break point landing before the serve’s even struck. The second screen turned passive viewing into active analysis.
The Melbourne Park Effect
Nowhere does the second-screen effect show up clearer than at the Australian Open. Melbourne Park pulls in over a million spectators across the tournament, but it’s the fans tuning in from home or flicking through matches on their phones during the day who are really shaping the trends.
What makes the AO different:
- the time zone works in Australia’s favour for global viewing
- the tournament embraced multi-screen early with its app and stadium Wi-Fi
- Melbourne’s night sessions create a natural rhythm where crowds are high and second-screen use peaks between matches
A 2024 survey of Australian tennis fans found that 58 per cent regularly use a second device while watching matches, and 41 per cent said they prefer having something else to engage with during breaks rather than watching the commentary team analyse replays.
The New Way to Watch
The second screen is not replacing tennis. It is filling the space around it. Broadcasters have clocked it too, flashing QR codes during changeovers and nudging viewers toward polls, stats and social feeds. Passive viewing’s a thing of the past.
For fans, it’s a fuller experience. A five-set classic plays out while live data ticks over, chats with mates stay active, and there’s always something else to dip into during the breaks. The sport shifts, the tech keeps up, and the way people engage keeps moving with it.
The second screen is here to stay. And somewhere between a forehand winner and a changeover, there is always something happening on it.
