PACKED WITH WORLD-FIRSTS & WEB3 FIRSTS

Tennis Grand Slam the Australian Open (AO) linked its first non-fungible token (NFT) collection ‘AO Artball’ to Hawk-Eye match data setting real world utility and tech firsts.

Fans got to own the moment in real-time as each NFT was linked to a plot of the court. When a winning shot landed on that plot, the NFT updated in real-time providing additional rewards & experiences. Generative art ensured each NFT was unique in appearance, right down to the fuzz.

Meanwhile AO was the first grand slam to virtualize its actual precinct in Decentraland.

SITUATION

AO strives to be the world’s most innovative, accessible, inclusive & entertaining sporting event. The hiatus in spectatorship as Melbourne had the strictest lockdowns and 50% capacity restrictions a unique opportunity to rethink the way tennis fans participate in live events.

BRIEF

• Provide better access and engagement to AO & grow our global fanbase

• Enable fans globally to own a piece of the AO and be invested until match point & beyond.

• Launch our stake in web3 in an ingenious way

• Stay true to our strengths = Tennis + Data + Entertainment

OBJECTIVES

1. Enable global tennis fans to own a piece of AO22

2. Unite tennis fans into the brave world of web3, NFTs and the metaverse

3. A truly unique NFT & metaverse experience befitting of the AO

4. Raise funds for the non-profit Australian Tennis Foundation and value for tennis fans

DATA INSIGHTS

• NFT collectibles tap into the preexistent psychological desire to attain goods that are authentic, scarce, and exclusive.

• For a credible brand to stand out amongst NFT projects, the collection had to be unique, truly random, with provenance on the blockchain.

• Attracting newcomers for their first Metaverse experience and keep coming back required familiar environments & data.

CREATIVE DATA IDEA

Tennis fans got to own the moment in real-time as each Art Ball’s metadata was randomly linked with cryptographic proof to a plot on the tennis court. When the last bounce of the match winning point landed on a plot, that NFT was updated in real-time providing additional rewards & experiences.

INNOVATION & ORIGINALITY

We created a unique NFT tennis ball collection with real world utility linked to each AO tennis match. Hawk-Eye NFTs delivering holders daily value, plus the first grand slam in the metaverse.

DATA SOURCE

An electronic verified data source was critical for provenance. Hawk-Eye data adjudicated each of 440+ matches down to the millimeter and could officiate the last legal bounce of the ball.

DATA INTERPRETATION

Our AO Metaverse Integration System (AMIS) ingested Hawk-Eye translating the raw data into a 3D model on the court. Here it visualized the entire match point from serve to racket to court, the ball's velocity and position, determining the ball’s placement to its corresponding plot.

QA WAS A TRIPLE VALIDATED PROCESS

We performed first, second & third round validation of (AMIS) against the NFT token ID to ensure we matched the coordinates of the court plot assigned to the NFT.

LIVE NFT UPDATES

Each of the updates that pushed information on the NFT (IPFS metadata) had a reference hash on IPFS meaning all updates were verified with provenance updated on the blockchain chain for perpetuity.

HAWK-EYE ENABLED NFTS

By ingesting Hawk-Eye data into the NFTs, AO challenged the status quo of how fans can own a piece of the tournament action generated from real tennis outcomes fans identified with. We used generative art software, the algorithmic combination of colours, patterns and textures meant each NFT was unique in appearance, down to the fuzz on the ball.

DELIVERING VALUE DAILY

We transferred the results from 440+ matches daily into information stored on the NFTs (IPFS metadata). Building a gated experience holders could check their NFTs for match point updates and property updates in OpenSea. Adding critical match stats, stickers and casings on the NFT artwork providing extra rarity and value over static NFTs.

FIRST GRAND SLAM IN THE METAVERSE

As the first grand slam to virtualize its precinct in the metaverse we enabled global fans to complete challenges, view unique content, interact with players and fans.

Ignited a trading frenzy

• Sold out in 3 minutes raising A$1.89m in new revenue and A$7m in secondary sales within the first 2 weeks.

• Enabled 4060 fans to own AO22 from 27 countries, converting 15% new collectors.

• Within 2 hours trending on OpenSea ranking 15th.

• Super rare collectibles: #2693 with AO’s first logo sold for ~A$27k. #1688 marked Nadal’s incredible 5 set comeback went for A$12k. Barty's retirement makes #2653 her final match verified on the blockchain.

• 1m+ estimated views in global PR: Forbes, the first NFT Metaverse appearance on Australia’s number #1 breakfast show & more https://bit.ly/3°p1bXn

• A$946k for non-profit Australian Tennis Foundation impacting Indigenous access to tennis.

• Featured 118 artists providing extra income & exposure.

• At 175,000 unique sessions from 157 countries, we’re the highest attended events that’s ever taken place in Decentraland.