US Open nearly doubles creator credentials after 5.5 million engagements
Front Office Sports reports that the U.S. Tennis Association has approved credentials for close to 100 content creators at this year's US Open. Jeanmarie Daly, the USTA's director of media operations, said the total is almost double the 54 creators credentialed for the first time last year. The 2025 creator group produced independent content across tennis, health, fashion, food, and lifestyle and generated more than 5.5 million engagements. The 2026 credential class includes returning creators, tennis-adjacent newcomers, social teams from traditional media, and podcasts recording during Fan Week. The US Open will also work with roughly 15 to 20 creators on content made directly for the tournament.
THE BREAKDOWN
Sports access is becoming formal creator inventory, and credentials are now leverage. Agents should negotiate access, shooting zones, sponsor conflicts, usage rights, ticketing, hospitality, and approval timelines before clients accept event credentials. Creators should separate independent editorial coverage from tournament-owned work because each has different value and restrictions. Brand managers can build campaigns around event access, but they need clarity on what logos, products, and calls to action are allowed on site. If an event can prove 5.5 million engagements from creators, reps should use that data to raise rates for tournament-week packages.
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