The Australian Open might look a little different this year if you’re livestreaming it on YouTube. That’s because the tournament has put an animated overlay on some of its matches to avoid broadcast licensing conflicts,

The Australian Open's official YouTube channel will feature select matches in animated form for free throughout the tournament. Played on virtual courts, the animation will mimic what is happening in real-time with human commentary describing the action.

In a unique workaround to address geographical streaming constraints and copyrights issues, the Australian Open 2025 organizers have modified players to animation, enabling viewers to free access to all games albeit at a cost.