Ben Stokes, Heather Knight, Moeen Ali and Andrew Flintoff among household names to have their movements captured; ground-breaking avatars will debut during Wednesday's opening match in The Hundred between Oval Invincibles and Manchester Originals; watch from 6pm on Sky Sports The Hundred
Tuesday 20 July 2021 09:37, UK
Motion-capture player avatars will be a part of Sky Sports' coverage of The Hundred as fans are treated to ground-breaking technology in the new 100-ball competition.
Sky and The Hundred have linked up to give fans an unprecedented digital experience, with the avatars making their broadcast debut during the opening game on Wednesday when Oval Invincibles host Manchester Originals in a women's match, live on Sky Sports The Hundred (Sky channel 404) from 6pm.
Sky and The Hundred have captured players' full range of movements in accurate detail, with the avatars to enhance Sky's TV coverage and digital platforms, as well as the fan experience on The Hundred app.
The idea is to bring fans closer to the players than ever before and allow them to engage with their heroes, as well as make the game more accessible and attract new audiences.
Sky Sports' commentary team will use the avatars, with Moeen Ali, Ben Stokes, Heather Knight, Jos Buttler and even Sky Sports presenter Andrew Flintoff among the household names fans will recognise.
Bryan Henderson, Sky Sports Director of Cricket, said: "We are so excited to present this incredible technology to our viewers. We have worked in partnership with The Hundred on a fan-first approach we believe will open the game up to new audiences.
"The Hundred will have a bespoke look and feel on TV and the avatars are a key part of what will make our coverage so dynamic.
"We have worked hard on every aspect of our presentation to ensure we have something for everyone, and I have every confidence the avatars will become one of the most popular aspects of our storytelling."
Alison Crowe, Director of Digital and Data, ECB, said: "Through our partnership with Sky, the creation of our hyper-real avatars will bring fans and players together on an unprecedented level.
"Imagine having a virtual Heather Knight, Saqib Mahmood or Ben Stokes showcasing their skills in your home - it's incredibly exciting.
"We can't wait for fans to try it out through The Hundred app, where they can also vote for the match hero in each game, vote for the music a player will walk out to and test their knowledge with some fun trivia - there's something for all the family to get involved with."
Download The Hundred app and buy tickets for this summer's tournament at thehundred.com.
The Hundred starts with a women's match between Oval Invincibles and Manchester Originals at The Kia Oval on Wednesda, with the men's competition starting a day later at the same venue.
Sky Sports will show all 68 games live - 34 women's and 34 men's - while all women's matches and a significant number of men's games will be streamed live on the Sky Cricket YouTube channel.
