Skip to content

NTT Data Wall

  • The Open Championship
  • Data Visualization Solution

Challenge

The Open Championship is one of the most prestigious events in golf, providing spectators with a world-class experience.

NTT DATA, in partnership with ENP Media, set out to reimagine the iconic NTT DATA Wall, an immersive fan experience that informs, entertains and deepens spectators’ connection to the game.

SMT accepted the challenge to design a system capable of transforming live tournament data into cinematic, real-time storytelling, while ensuring it remained easy for operators to control under the pressure of live play.

Solution

For the 2025 Open, SMT collaborated with NTT DATA and ENP Media to build and support the back-end engine powering the redesigned NTT DATA Wall, a 20-meter-wide digital display at Royal Portrush. SMT’s system dynamically ingested and prioritized over 280,000 live data points to feed real-time graphics, animations and tournament insights to on-site fans.

Real-time data visualizations with a sleek, futuristic aesthetic matched the prestige of The Open, with key features such as player fly-to animations, interactive shot views, head-to-head comparisons, hole stats with heat maps, and drive distance scatter plots. The display also integrated leaderboards, player summaries, and live weather updates, ensuring fans on stayed informed and engaged.

SMT provided:

  • Data Processing & Ingestion Engine (TVI): Collection of real-time delivery, prioritization and automation triggers for storylines and templates.
  • HTML Leaderboard Panel: Provided live updates in a simple, intuitive interface for fans to follow every stroke.
  • System Design & Integration: Operator-friendly platform that seamlessly fed ENP Media’s Unreal Engine graphics system with accurate, timely data.
  • Collaboration & Strategy: Worked closely with NTT DATA and ENP Media to align visual priorities, data storytelling and fan engagement objectives.

CLICK HERE to watch highlight reel.

Results

The reimagined NTT DATA Wall delivered a premium fan experience that elevated The Open for both on-site spectators and global stakeholders. SMT’s automation tools and intuitive panels enabled ENP Media to manage the display smoothly throughout the tournament. Fans experienced the championship through dynamic, cinematic data storytelling that brought every shot and storyline to life. In the end, SMT helped to reinforce NTT DATA’s reputation for innovation, earning praise from fans, partners, and organizers alike.

Jon Kaczmarski, SMT’s VP of Creative and Strategy, summed it up perfectly: “What made this project so special was the shared commitment to storytelling. NTT DATA had a clear vision—to not just inform fans, but to immerse them. Working in close partnership with ENP Media, we designed a system that delivers data as experience. It’s not just about showing numbers—it’s about showing why they matter, in the moment, in a way only possible through collaboration.”

CLIENT TESTIMONIAL

“It was great to have the team from SMT involved in creating this year’s fan experience on the NTT DATA Wall at The Open. They have decades of experience managing sports data for broadcasters and sports events around the world. Their expertise made it possible to deliver, for golf fans, what we deliver to our clients all over the world–deep and useful insights, driven by data and delivered in impactful ways.”

Gregor McQuattie

HEAD OF MEDIA, NTT DATA (UK&I)