Virtual Tennis: Australian Open Streams Matches with Avatars

Ever thought you'd see tennis stars like Carlos Alcaraz playing in a video game-like setting? Well, the Australian Open is making that a reality! This year, the tournament is live-streaming matches on YouTube with digital avatars instead of real players. Why the change? Broadcasting rights can be tricky, and not owning all of them means the tournament needs creative solutions to let fans watch live. Motion-tracking tech is used to make these avatars mirror the real players' moves. It's like watching a Wii Sports tennis match, but with real-world pros! Though there might be some odd glitches, like super-sized heads and floating rackets, the idea is to make the game accessible to everyone, no matter where they live. This isn't the first time sports have gone digital. The NHL replaced players with Looney Tunes characters, and the NFL teamed up with Disney Plus for a Simpsons-themed game. Fans seem to like these digital versions, with some even preferring them to the real thing.

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