Playfinder and Premier Tennis have teamed up to provide digital access to Premier Tennis facilities to help them bounce back from a tough year. Both will be encouraged to see Playfinder tennis users up by 77% in the lead up to the reopening of sports.

The partnership sees Playfinder and Premier Tennis integrate systems to promote Premier Tennis' 24 tennis venues, covering over 130 courts, in real-time on Playfinder’s unrivalled marketplace.

Since 2004 Premier Tennis has played a leading role in developing tennis participation levels around the country.

From managing parks courts and delivering coaching programmes to
co-ordinating outreach sessions and hosting events, the company has inspired many to pick up rackets for the first time or return after a long break.

The integration will give Premier Tennis venues a boost post-lockdown, granting them access to Playfinder’s 100,000 monthly users in a bid to increase participation levels further.

Jeff Hunter, MD of Premier Tennis, said: “We're thrilled to be partnering Playfinder as they share our desire to lower barriers to participation and help more people enjoy the fun, fitness and friendship that comes through tennis. By making courts easy to find, book and access, together we will attract newcomers and retain existing players, regardless of age or
ability.”

Playfinder, the largest online sports booking company, aims to make it easier for everyone to play sport while increasing utilisation of facilities.

Online bookings help to fill spare capacity through advertising available slots to the local community.

Blackheath Wanderers, a sports club that joined Playfinder before the first lockdown in May 2020, saw a surge in 42% of new users booking after joining the platform.

Club Treasurer of Blackheath Wanderers Robert Fraser said: “The partnership with Playfinder has helped increase revenue for the Club without any significant additional time for us.

"It is fair to say that we would not have been able to obtain anywhere near the level of income generated had we tried to do this independently."

Venues will be looking to bounce back after a hard-fought year and follow the lead of Blackheath Wanderers.

Repeated lockdowns and the furlough scheme meant some facilities couldn’t take the financial risk of reopening even when restrictions were lifted.

However, after lockdown restrictions were eased in Summer 2020 and despite Wimbledon being cancelled, Playfinder recorded their biggest ever summer of tennis bookings, with traffic up 34% year on year.

Along with the vaccine roll-out, tennis will be able to restart with confidence.

Jamie Foale, CEO of Playfinder, said: “We’re delighted to be bringing on Premier Tennis’ courts as this will help satisfy the huge demand we’re already seeing coming out of lockdown.

"Premier Tennis have proved to be forward-thinking and ahead of the curve of digital transformation, and this integration will provide better access for thousands of players to over a hundred courts, with many more to follow in due course.”

A nation starved of sport will find new opportunities to get on court through Playfinder's and Premier Tennis' shared quest to open up tennis.