The Championships, Wimbledon has introduced a new accessible broadcast designed to help blind and low vision audiences experience live tennis.
Developed by the All England Lawn Tennis Club, Hawk-Eye Innovations and AKQA, the HawkAR: Inclusive Feed combines two technologies, Action Audio and HawkAR, to provide synchronised audio and visual information during Centre Court singles matches at Wimbledon 2026.
The accessible feed is available on BBC iPlayer throughout the tournament.
Action Audio, developed by AKQA, uses Hawk-Eye ball and player tracking data to create a real-time 3D soundscape, allowing blind and low vision viewers to hear the ball’s speed and trajectory during play.
At the same time, Hawk-Eye’s HawkAR technology provides high-contrast visual overlays showing bounce points and shot paths, supporting viewers with low vision.
The technologies were co-designed with members of the blind and low vision community.
Paul Davies, Associate Director, Broadcast, Production and Media Rights at the All England Lawn Tennis Club, said the initiative builds on Wimbledon’s history of using innovation to improve the spectator experience.
“Tennis is a sport defined by speed, precision and nuance, qualities that can make it challenging to follow without full sight,” he said.
“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.”
According to Hawk-Eye Innovations, almost 285 million people worldwide are unable to fully enjoy live sport because of severe visual impairment.
Ben Crossing, Chief Executive Officer of Hawk-Eye Innovations, said HawkAR extends the company’s mission of making tennis more accessible for fans.
“Almost 285 million people worldwide are prevented from enjoying live sport due to severe visual impairment,” he said.
“HawkAR extends that mission to fans who have been underserved by traditional broadcasts.”
The Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) welcomed the launch.
Jonny Marshall, Operational Research Officer at RNIB, said following a fast-paced tennis rally can be difficult without full sight.
“The HawkAR: Inclusive Feed at The Championships, Wimbledon is a massive leap forward,” he said.
“This initiative gives blind and partially sighted tennis fans access to watch games on a par with their sighted peers.”
The HawkAR: Inclusive Feed is available for all Centre Court singles matches from the first day of the Wimbledon main draw through the Audio Described section of BBC iPlayer.
For more information, please read Wimbledon.com’s article on the new accessible viewing feature.