Technology is revolutionizing the way we live and will continue to do so. Every aspect of our existence is now influenced by scientific advances and no sector is exempt from this process. Sport is certainly no exception to this rule. In recent years, the sports sector has been hit hard by the radical changes brought about by the advance in technology. The sports most affected by this revolution are cycling, swimming, skiing and soccer. However, there are differences: while in individual sports, training has always gone hand in hand with technological research aimed at improving equipment, in team sports, on the other hand, technology has had more difficulty getting involved, and its arrival is a significant innovation. We can therefore say that sport at 360°, considered with everything that revolves around it, is being affected by these changes. Let’s look at the 12 ways in which technology has helped to improve sport:
1 Calculating sports performance times with no margin for error
There has always been an inextricable relationship between sport and technological progress, but today this is even more evident. To watch every soccer match has become even easier thanks to the best sports streaming service, but soccer, as mentioned, is not the only sport that has been revolutionized. In sporting competitions it is the thousandths that make the difference, it is the details that count. These decisive details are the result of skill, training, technique, tenacity, years of preparation, coolness, psychophysical fitness, and luck. Very often, however, what is decisive, to be able to influence these small details, is above all the sophistication of the tools and equipment available.
2 The ability to capture data on athletes in real-time.
Thanks to wearable technology, the data is then processed by computers and used by the coaching staff to analyze the games in general and each athlete individually. This also makes it possible to define game strategies: in team games, the portable sensors worn by athletes help to establish the exact position of the athlete on the field, making it easier for coaches to define the game strategy.
3 Anti-doping measures.
The World Anti-Doping Agency – the global agency responsible for tackling the doping problem – has succeeded in refining drug testing techniques with astounding results.
4 The health of sportsmen and women
New technologies have played a key role in increasing athlete performance, preventing injuries, and rehabilitating athletes after injuries.
5 The possibility of spying on opponents
There have been cases where training camps of certain teams have been flown over by drones, sent by staff members of the team against which the next game is to be played.
6 The presence of cameras on the pitch
This is another technological element that has made a difference over the years in various matches and competitions. However, there were already technological aids on the sidelines that provide coaches and technical staff with important tactical suggestions. In addition to the video cameras used in stadiums and arenas around the world to improve fan safety, there are also sports, such as rugby and basketball, where video technology is required by referees as a valuable aid in making decisions without leaving room for human error.
7 Fan Engagement
The direct involvement of fans is becoming more and more entrenched. The awareness of how important it is to be able to involve the fan before, during, and after the match through vertical membership and loyalty strategies, is constantly increasing.
8 The implementation of new sponsorship assets
Advanced analytics, customer segmentation, and digital platforms can offer sponsors new channels and positive results to get their message across and increase their customer base.
9 eSports
These are competitive online video games with the structure of a traditional professional league. Although still young, it is a growing market. The figures for the sector are impressive. At the end of 2019, it is expected to reach revenues of around $1.1 billion, a growth of 26.7% in one year. And it could then triple in the next three years.
10 Sports tech
A revolution of this magnitude regarding eSports corresponds to a strong and relentless expansion of the related industry sector. Sports tech is one of the fastest-growing industries in the world. It is currently worth $8.9 billion and is expected to triple over the next five years. In Europe, too, there is no shortage of investment in the sector but, on the contrary, it continues to increase. In 2018, the sector of startups that combine sport and technology came close to 364 million euros with an increase of 27.4% compared to the previous year. After the boom recorded at the turn of the two-years 2014-2015, when investments rosed from 90.6 million to over 200 million, last year sports tech reached a value of 363.9 million euros.
11 Technologies applied to athletes’ clothing
At the last Olympic Games in Tokyo, the new shoes used by sprinters had a carbon plate wider than the sole, to widen the contact surface and allow better balance in the first supports, improving acceleration in the first 30-40 meters of the race. And for the international federation, there was nothing irregular.
12 The possibility of communicating at a distance
Previously, if a coach was sent off the pitch by the referee, he could not communicate directly with his team and his technical staff. Nowadays this is possible thanks to the presence of numerous tools.
Technology has long been present in our daily lives. As we have seen, it has also greatly improved the sports industry. Even to see real-time scores have become easy for fans all over the world thanks to new technologies.