Australian Open bypasses broadcast restrictions by replacing players with avatars

The Australian Open, one of the four Grand Slam tournaments, surprised spectators by replacing real players with digital avatars with huge heads reminiscent of characters from the Wii Sports video game and balls more like bowling balls. Although many people liked this visualization, it seemed quite surreal. However, there is a completely pragmatic reason behind this.

Image source: Australian Open TV / YouTube

As tennis reporter Bastien Fachan explained in a post on X, the tournament organizers, without owning all the broadcast rights, used motion-tracking technology to ensure live access to the match for everyone without infringing copyrights. in Wii Tennis format. Using this technology, as TechSpot writes, avatars were created that can repeat the movements of real players, allowing you to observe the progress of the game.

This is not the first time that sporting events have used modern technology to create digital versions of matches. For example, last year the NHL broadcast a game where the players were replaced with Looney Tunes characters, specifically Bugs Bunny and Goofy. And in December 2023, the NFL and Disney Plus unveiled an alternate version of the Cincinnati Bengals vs. Dallas Cowboys game featuring characters from The Simpsons, created using Sony Beyond Sports’ artificial intelligence technology.

It is worth saying that the reaction to such animation competitions is mostly positive. Some viewers even admit that they prefer to watch digital versions of matches rather than traditional broadcasts because it is “fun, different and accessible to everyone.”