Virtual Humans

Sky Sports x The ECB: The Hundred

The English Cricket Board (ECB) and Sky Sports sought hyper-real avatars for its new cricket tournament 'The Hundred' to power a world-first mixed-reality broadcast and interactive mobile AR experience.

Created using MetaStar, our realistic avatar solution, the virtual cricket players were driven by animation or motion capture.

The Hundred's cricket avatars offer broadcasters and viewers an innovative in-depth analysis of the sporting action beamed directly, while the AR mobile experience housing the avatars is all about making cricket more accessible to fans.

"We are so excited to present this incredible technology to our viewers. I have every confidence the avatars will become one of the most popular aspects of our storytelling."

Bryan Henderson

Director of Cricket, Sky Sports

"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."

Alison Crowe

Director of Digital and Data, ECB

Awards

The Broadcast Digital Awards

Best Sports/Live Event Coverage

Broadcast Sport

Best Sports Graphics for a Live Production

Broadcast Sport

Best Use of Fan Engagement

Tags

Virtual Humans Sport

See more of what we can do