The Australian Open is the latest example of how artificial intelligence (AI) is being used to boost the fan experience at sporting events.
Tennis Australia, the country’s governing body for the sport, launched several new AI initiatives at this year’s competition, aiming to increase engagement with fans that were attending the event, but also to reach people unable to be at the matches in person.
One of these was the Bracket Challenge, a game where fans could test their predictions of the day’s match winners versus the automated predictions on the Australian Open website for the duration of the tournament. Behind the scenes was AI developed by Infosys, which tracked the probabilities of victory as each game progressed.
Another AI tool provided fans with a player’s view of the tennis court and match narratives in real-time, even allowing users to play a ‘virtual slam’ against an opponent.
It was also able to analyze the action on the court and create highlights for Australian Open’s media team, enabling them to share content from each day with fans.
Meanwhile fans could take selfies with players via a virtual reality hub, and the interactive ‘Rafa Forever’, generative AI tool let users create their own images of the tennis legend, in a nod to the fact that he had to miss this year’s competition due to injury.
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Making virtual sports a reality
This isn’t the first time Infosys has brought AI to the Australian Open. The two organizations have been partners since 2019, providing virtual and augmented reality experiences to fans of the championship.
In 2023 fans were able to be part of the event in the metaverse, with virtual arcade games, tennis court simulations and a life-like experience of what it's like to play on centre court, competing against the avatars of famous tennis players.
In the same year, Infosys created a meta version of the International Tennis Hall of Fame, with profiles of tennis greats, curated exhibits and virtual tennis playing.
Craig Tiley, CEO of Tennis Australia, said, "AI is enabling new dimensions of interactivity for fans and insight for players, not to mention the speed and scale it brings to our content delivery."
AI and the sports fan experience
The fan experience is increasingly extending far beyond the confines of the stadium. Just as businesses strive to create exceptional customer experiences, sports organizations are focusing their attention on delivering experiences with a high level of interactivity for fans both on and off the field - from immersive viewing to virtual reality.
In 2022, US baseball team Minnesota Twins released ARound, believed to be the first shared augmented reality (AR) application for live sports. The app allowed fans to see graphical illustrations of in-game statistics as well as take part in games, bridging the gap between live and remote experiences to offer new levels of engagement.
Chris Iles, the Minnesota Twins’ senior director of brand experience and innovation, said this new immersive element has “some real power and some real legs”.
“It is aware of everyone around you that is using the app at the same time, creating a shared experience and creating some context around an event that frankly has never been done before,” he said.
By creating innovating fan experiences and partnering with AI platforms, sports organizations are catering to the preferences of younger fans who might be less likely to use more traditional mediums such as broadcast and internet streaming.