Link: Australian Open avatars helping tennis reach new audience | Australian Open 2025 | The Guardian

The Australian Open 2025 has introduced AO Animated, providing animated, commentated coverage accessible worldwide on YouTube. This digital transformation uses video game-like avatars and real-time data to create a new viewing experience.

The innovation has met with considerable enthusiasm, attracting hundreds of thousands of viewers. The technology generates virtual representations of matches with a short delay, blending live commentary and sounds from the actual games.

This method allows the Australian Open to broadcast live-like events despite existing exclusive media rights. It avoids conflicts while reaching a global audience directly on their digital platforms.

Machar Reid, the innovation director at Tennis Australia, highlights the rapid development of this tech. Though not flawless, the realistic tracking and animation systems are quickly evolving.

The venture aims at engaging particularly with communities that enjoy animated and virtual content. Reinforcing this point, similar innovative broadcasting methods have been explored in NFL and ice hockey.

Reid hopes that mainstream broadcasters will eventually incorporate these technological advancements. Meanwhile, Tennis Australia continues to explore new digital realms, including ventures in media and health technology startups. #

--

Yoooo, this is a quick note on a link that made me go, WTF? Find all past links here.