When Wimbledon posted a Roger Federer highlight reel on Instagram set to the Bollywood classic Pehla Nasha, many viewers assumed it was a fan-made edit. It wasn’t. The video came from Wimbledon’s official account, and it signalled a broader shift in how the tournament is engaging with Indian audiences.

Throughout this year’s Championships, Wimbledon paired highlights featuring some of tennis’s biggest names with Bollywood classics, Punjabi hits, and Tamil tracks. Serena Williams’ powerful on-court moments were set to Patakha Guddi, Novak Djokovic appeared alongside Divine’s Baazigar, and other reels featured songs such as Vaseegara, Unakku Thaan, Maari Thara Local, and Tere Bina.

For a tournament that has represented British sporting tradition for nearly 150 years, this creative direction is notable. Yet these posts are about far more than selecting different background music. They reflect a larger strategic shift: global brands are increasingly recognising that growth in India depends not only on visibility, but also on cultural relevance (Source: NDTV)

India Is No Longer Just a Broadcast Market

India’s relationship with Wimbledon has changed considerably over the past two decades. From the achievements of Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi to Sania Mirza’s success on the global stage, tennis has steadily built a loyal following despite competing in a cricket-dominated market.

That audience is now becoming increasingly digital.

India has quietly emerged as one of Wimbledon’s most important growth markets. With the growth of streaming platforms, affordable mobile data and creator-led content, Wimbledon now reaches Indian audiences far beyond traditional television broadcasts. Short-form video and creator-led content have further pushed the tournament’s visibility beyond traditional sports audiences, into lifestyle, food, and cultural conversations that were once cricket’s exclusive territory.

The All England Lawn Tennis Club has acknowledged India’s growing importance, identifying the country as one of its priority markets for expanding the Championships’ global audience. The challenge, however, is no longer simply making Wimbledon available to Indian viewers. It is making the tournament feel relevant within India’s digital culture. (Source: NDTV)

Localising Discovery, Not the Sport

Wimbledon’s strategy is particularly effective because it localises discovery rather than altering the sport itself.

The tournament’s defining elements remain unchanged: Centre Court, the white dress code, royal patronage, and the strawberries-and-cream tradition continue to shape Wimbledon’s identity. What has evolved is the way new audiences encounter the Championships.

On short-form video platforms, music plays a powerful role in making content feel familiar and emotionally resonant. Pairing Roger Federer’s elegant shot-making with Pehla Nasha or Serena Williams’ fierce celebrations with Patakha Guddi makes these sporting moments feel immediately relatable to Indian audiences scrolling through their feeds.

Rather than expecting audiences to first enter Wimbledon’s world, the tournament is increasingly meeting them in theirs.

This approach extends beyond music. Indian creators attending the Championships have documented behind-the-scenes experiences, fashion, food, and match-day moments for millions of followers. Their content presents Wimbledon not merely as a tennis tournament, but as a cultural experience, making it aspirational even for audiences who may never have watched an entire match.

From Strawberries and Cream to Kulfi

One of the clearest expressions of this localisation strategy came from Centre Court itself.

Earlier this season, Wimbledon partnered with Delhi’s 120-year-old dessert brand, Kuremal Mohanlal Kulfi Wale, to introduce a limited-edition Strawberries & Cream Kulfi inspired by the tournament’s iconic dessert.

For generations, strawberries and cream have been synonymous with Wimbledon. Reimagining this tradition as kulfi did not replace the tournament’s heritage; it translated it into a format instantly familiar to Indian consumers.

The collaboration illustrates an important evolution in localisation. Rather than creating an entirely new campaign for India, Wimbledon adapted one of its oldest traditions while preserving its core identity. The heritage remained intact; the expression became locally relevant. (Source: The Economic Times)

Part of a Bigger Marketing Shift

Wimbledon is far from the only global sports property adopting this approach. Football clubs such as Liverpool, Manchester City and Juventus have increasingly incorporated Bollywood soundtracks into their social media content for Indian audiences. Liverpool has used tracks like Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham and Kukkad Kamaal Da, while Manchester City paired one of its posts with Shah Rukh Khan’s iconic Main Hoon Don. La Liga has also experimented with regional Indian music, reflecting a wider effort among international sports organisations to create culturally relevant digital content for India. (Source: Afaqs)

These initiatives reflect a broader evolution in international sports marketing. Global competitions are no longer relying solely on broadcast rights or advertising campaigns to grow their audiences. Instead, they are embedding themselves into local digital culture through creators, music, food collaborations and platform-native content.

The objective is not to change the sport. It is to reduce the cultural distance between the brand and new audiences.

The New Playbook for Global Brands

For years, localisation largely meant translating advertisements into regional languages or adapting campaigns for different markets. Today, digital platforms have expanded that definition.

Brands are increasingly localising through culture—through the music audiences already listen to, the creators they already follow and the traditions they already recognise. Cultural familiarity has become an important gateway to engagement, particularly in markets as diverse and digitally connected as India.

Wimbledon offers a compelling example of this shift. It has not become less British in its pursuit of Indian audiences. The traditions that define the Championships remain unchanged. What has evolved is the bridge connecting those traditions to millions of potential new fans.

From Bollywood soundtracks to kulfi collaborations, Wimbledon is demonstrating that global brands do not always need to reinvent themselves to enter new markets. Wimbledon remains unmistakably British. What has changed is not the tournament itself, but the way it introduces itself to new audiences. In an increasingly connected world, cultural relevance may prove just as important as global recognition.