Best Sports Graphics for a Live Production: The Hundred: Avatars

The Hundred was created to throw open the doors of cricket to all and show of­ the game at its thrilling best – so it’s no surprise that digital innovation was at its heart.

In partnership with the England and Wales Cricket Board, Sky Sports’ brief was to explore new ways to deliver innovative broadcast analysis and fan engagement experiences aimed at younger demographics and audiences new to the game.

The result was the avatars, a suite of hyper-real digital versions of The Hundred’s male and female superstars. Using the avatars, the Sky Sports team could give viewers exciting new insight into the players’ batting and bowling techniques, with pundits able to stand right next to the stars as they showed of­ their skills.

The smooth motion-captured animations meant the team could seamlessly pause, rewind and play in slow motion in real-time, leading to even greater analysis that might not have been possible with any other approach.

The graphics “transcended the match-day viewing experience and o­ffered actionable insight into the game,” according to our judges.

“The educational impact of the avatars for the audience really pushed it over the edge for me,” said one. “It brought a new dimension to the game, and the app was also great, perfect for younger audiences.”