Five years ago, AKQA developed Action Audio, an online audio stream designed that made the Australian Open broadcasts accessible for the almost 600,000 Australians and 285 million people globally who are living with blindness or vision impairment. It was a pro bono, company-funded project.

Now that technology is being integrated with digital media sports tech company, Hawk-Eye Innovations’ infrastructure, to create HawkAR: Inclusive Feed, a first-of-its-kind accessibility layer for The Championships, Wimbledon 2026 that combines Action Audio with Hawk-Eye’s augmented reality technology to make live tennis more accessible for blind and low-vision fans.

The platform, created for The All England Lawn Tennis Club, and the most ambitious use of multi-sensory accessibility technology in live sport to date, also has the potential to scale far beyond Wimbledon.

Every point played on Wimbledon’s Centre Court during all singles matches this year is being broadcast with synchronised spatial audio cues and augmented visual overlays, designed to make live tennis fully accessible for fans who are blind or have low vision. The inclusive feed is available on BBC iPlayer, providing viewers across the UK with a fully accessible way to engage with the action live.

“Wimbledon has a long history of embracing innovation to enhance how fans experience The Championships, and the HawkAR: Inclusive Feed represents a significant step forward in that journey,” stated Paul Davies, associate director, broadcast, production and media rights at the All England Club.

“Tennis is a sport defined by speed, precision and nuance, qualities that can make it challenging to follow without full sight. By bringing together pioneering technologies and making the feed available on BBC iPlayer, we are creating a more inclusive and immersive way for blind and low-vision audiences to experience live tennis. We believe this initiative has the potential to set a new benchmark for accessibility in sport, demonstrating how innovation can help ensure that the unique drama, emotion and excitement of Wimbledon can be shared with more fans than ever before.”

AKQA’s Action Audio converts Hawk-Eye ball and player tracking data into a real-time 3D soundscape, allowing blind and low-vision fans to hear the ball’s speed and trajectory. Meanwhile, Hawk-Eye’s HawkAR provides a high-contrast visual overlay of bounce points and shot paths for viewers with low vision. Together, these synchronised systems, co-designed with members of the blind and low-vision community, ensure the game is fully accessible across broadcast and mobile devices.

“Almost 285 million people worldwide are prevented from enjoying live sport due to severe visual impairment. Hawk-Eye has spent two decades making the invisible visible, and bringing the innovation in tennis to every court. HawkAR extends that mission to fans who have been underserved by traditional broadcasts. We are proud to power this with the All England Club and our partners,” commented Ben Crossing, chief executive officer of Hawk-Eye Innovations.

“Sport’s job is to make people feel something. Action Audio started as an experiment in whether sound alone could carry the drama of a tennis rally. Five years on, paired with HawkAR and rolled out at The Championships, Wimbledon, it becomes a statement that accessibility is not a feature, it is the experience,” added Tim Devine, global chief invention officer, AKQA.

Jonny Marshall, pperational research officer at the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB), stated, “Following a fast-paced rally on traditional broadcasts can be incredibly difficult without full sight. The HawkAR: Inclusive Feed at The Championships, Wimbledon is a massive leap forward. This initiative gives blind and partially sighted tennis fans access to watch games on a par with their sighted peers. Co-designed directly with our community, it sets an incredible new benchmark for inclusive sport.”