Australian Open, why have Sinner and the other tennis players have become avatar?

The Australian Open 2025 introduced an innovative method of transmission of live games: the use of animated characters who imitate players. This technology, reminiscent of the characters of the Wii Tennis video game, has been implemented by the official YouTube channel of the tournament to circumvent the restrictions on transmission rights and make sport more attractive to families. The animated characters are used in the direct on YouTube to show games in real time. The entertainment, created with the help of motion capture and artificial intelligence, reproduces the players’ movements, public reactions and referee calls, all accompanied by a human comment. This solution allows tennis enthusiasts to follow the action live, even without access to paid television broadcasts.

The initiative represents an interesting novelty in the panorama of the distribution of sports content. The official YouTube channel of the Australian Open, although not holding the rights for official broadcasts, can still show live matches thanks to this solution that wanders the restrictions imposed by exclusive contracts with television broadcasters. The use of animated characters stands out from other visualization technologies used in sports lives. For example, augmented reality allows you to superimpose graphic elements with real -time transmission, enriching the visual experience with additional information such as the speed of the players or the trajectory of the ball. The analysis of real -time data instead provides detailed statistics on the performance of athletes, allowing spectators to deepen the understanding of the game. Other technologies, such as Hawk-Eye, are used for instant replay and the resolution of controversial game situations, while platforms such as IBM Watson allow you to generate automatic comments in real time.

The introduction of the animated characters aroused conflicting reactions between the public. On the one hand, some appreciate the idea, considering it an innovative and fun way to follow the games, especially for the new generations. Furthermore, the possibility of accessing free of direct on YouTube democratizes access to sport, allowing a wider audience to follow the Australian Open. On the other hand, there is no shortage of criticism. Some spectators find the characters not very realistic and “comic”, with an aspect that recalls the video games of a few years ago. In addition, the quality of the transmission is not always impeccable, with movements that are not always fluid and occasional ball view problems. Finally, it has been noted that the characters sometimes present inaccuracy in the complexion of athletes.