After making the massive step of expanding to Boston in the summer of 2015, local tennis startup PlayLocal has reported back on what it discovered in its first season. And, given the results, it has good news for those who are interested in seeing the local startup expand its city reach.
If you didn't already know, PlayLocal is a company that brings tennis players together. Using its distinct and easy to use app, it pairs up people to play based on age and skill. Players are also able to reserve a court for a period of time, saving them from the time-wasting headache of heading to the court only to wait hours for it to open up.
According to PlayLocal co-founder Anmol Wassan, "The pilot with Boston went very well and we continue to see players join the service." Having started outside of Boston in surrounding neighborhoods, PlayLocal made an intelligent push into Boston, as it first secured a partnership with the City of Boston. Beginning modestly, the company provided access to four public courts.
Now, PlayLocal will expand by another six courts for the fall season. It's vindication of Wassan's assertion about the company's success in Boston.
During evening hours, PlayLocal reported 100 percent usage of its Boston courts (weather permitting), while it is near total capacity during other daytime hours. Demand is obviously not an issue.
Beyond that, PlayLocal has been partnering with other organizations and groups, building on its growing Boston presence. Boston Tennis Week was one such partner in August, while USTA New England is another. As part of the latter, PlayLocal is launching two new tennis leagues in the fall.
The connection with city government also expanded in a recent unveiling of a new project. PlayLocal was on hand as Boston cut the ribbon on an $18 million field improvement deal for (among other things) two courts in West Roxbury.
As for the stats on the Boston users, here's some data:
Images via PlayLocal
