Australian Open: Wii Tennis avatars being used for YouTube streams
What's the story
The ongoing 2025 Australian Open has taken a unique approach to its live broadcasts on the official YouTube channel. Rather than traditional footage from Melbourne Park, viewers are treated to animated versions of tennis stars like Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz and Coco Gauff. The unique presentation style resembles a live stream of a Nintendo Wii Sports game rather than a Grand Slam event.
Broadcast restrictions
Reason behind the animated avatars
As per Firstpost, the move to animated avatars comes from Tennis Australia's inability to secure full broadcast rights for all matches. To avoid this, they have used an artificial intelligence (AI) system to create Nintendo Wii Tennis cartoon avatars mimicking the action on a two-minute delay. Even after selling exclusive broadcast rights to different global TV companies, Tennis Australia has permission to use actual players in highlight reels and other clips.
Innovative approach
Technology behind the animated broadcasts
The innovative broadcast approach involves sensors installed at Melbourne Park courts, which track player and ball movements. This data is then processed by a system that generates digital reproductions of the live match with a two-minute delay. To enhance viewer experience, crowd noise and commentary from the official broadcast are synced with these animations.
Fan engagement
Animated feeds aim to attract new fans
Darren Pearce, Tennis Australia's Chief Content Officer, said this mixed-reality experience is aimed at captivating a new generation of tennis fans. The idea is to make the sport more accessible and engaging, particularly for kids and families. The 'Animated Feeds' feature was created by AO Labs, the research and development arm of Tennis Australia's pipeline.