Press Release

London, United Kingdom – June 29, 2026 – The All England Lawn Tennis  Club, AKQA, and Hawk-Eye Innovations today announced the launch of HawkAR: Inclusive Feed, a combined accessibility layer for The Championships, Wimbledon 2026. The solution brings together two breakthrough technologies, Action Audio (AKQA) and HawkAR (Hawk-Eye Innovations), for the first time on the world stage.

Every point played on Wimbledon's Centre Court during all singles matches this year will be broadcast with synchronised spatial audio cues and augmented visual overlays, designed to make live tennis fully immersive for fans who are blind or have low vision. This inclusive feed will be 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,” said 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,” said 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,” said Tim Devine, Global Chief Invention Officer, AKQA.

RNIB Spokesperson Jonny Marshall, at the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB), said: “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 the blind and partially sighted community true independence as fans. Co-designed directly with our community, it sets an incredible new benchmark for inclusive sport.”

The HawkAR Inclusive Feed at The Championships, Wimbledon 2026 is the most ambitious deployment of multi-sensory accessibility technology in live sport to date. It will be available from the first day of main draw (Monday 29th June) for all singles matches on Centre Court on BBC iPlayer, alongside the live match feed. To access it, viewers can visit the Audio Described section on BBC iPlayer via the category tab on TV, ‘Explore’ icon on App, and category dropdown menu on Web.