Is the reality of watching sport no longer enough?

The Premier League kicked off last month with the usual mix of new players, new managers and new hopes for fans across the world, but it also debuted a whole new way of watching games.?

Back in January, experiential media and technology business Cosm announced a partnership with NBC Sports that would see Premier League matches -? as well as? College Football and horse racing – broadcast in “shared reality” at their venues in Los Angeles and Dallas. So when Manchester United & Fulham kicked off the 24/25 season on 16th August, the 80 odd thousand fans at Old Trafford and the many millions more watching via the traditional reality of a broadcast stream were joined by a select few who got to experience the game like this…

After putting back the pieces of our blown minds, this got us thinking about what fans want from the experience of watching live sport and how technology is driving up our expectations. Is the reality of watching sport no longer enough?

Firstly the most important quality fans look for when watching sport is good quality sport. Fans from yesteryear were undoubtedly treated to elite level sport, but there can be no question that fans today have a better product. The application of innovative technologies has given us better facilities and equipment, fitter, more skilful athletes and better officiating capabilities (in spite of what the VAR haters may say).

So what then do we want from our experience of watching these enhanced levels of player performance and officiating? Traditionally the act of viewing sport took place in one of two ways. You had the passion, noise and visceral experience of watching games live, surrounded by your fellow fans or, the option of watching it on TV; a quieter, more considered viewing experience that sacrificed atmosphere for replays, commentary and analysis.

Just as it did for player performance, technology is now driving marginal – and in some cases significant – gains in both types of viewer experience, whether that’s in-venue or in front of a screen.

Better stadia design and bigger screens make sure fans have the best possible view of the action, and increasingly rights holders are looking to create a deeper, more immersive experience using augmented reality. Whether it's driving sponsorship activations pre-game to engage younger fans or providing additional layers of data and analysis, AR is being applied to add another dimension for fans used to being able to do more.??

For fans watching at home, innovations in broadcasting have also given fans an increasingly sophisticated viewing experience, with better quality streaming, new camera angles and data-led, graphic-overlays providing a “more than real”, more multi-dimensional viewing experience that fans increasingly expect.?

Technology has also created new ways to experience sport. Cosm’s shared reality concept is more than impressive and creates a range of exciting opportunities for right holders looking to present their product in new and engaging ways. Later this month, Las Vegas’ Sphere will host? UFC 306, combining live action with visual spectacle on the venue’s giant screen to create what Dana White has bashfully described as “the greatest sporting event of all time”. As the first live sporting event to be hosted at the venue, it will be fascinating to see if White is true to his world although, with UFC struggling to sell tickets/PPV due to clash with Canelo Alvarez fight, the huge production and advertising costs involved mean the event could end up costing UFC millions.?

Virtual reality may be the reality we all come to demand but, for now, the metaverse remains on the horizon as a mainstream means to view sports. That said, the horizon is getting closer. Major League Baseball has just brought back its Virtual Ballpark for a second season, combining? live action streams with a 3D representation enabling fans to view the action from previously impossible angles. This year’s edition allows fans to immerse themselves further by chatting with fellow fans in game and offers gamification features that allow you to carry out actions in the digital environment to earn points that can be redeemed in their online shop.

This layering of technology upon reality to create multi-dimensional experiences seems very much to be sports is heading but is it any surprise? The same is happening in other forms of entertainment and social engagement and if anything sport is lagging behind music and gaming.

The reality is we now want (nay, expect) more in everything we do and its is on sport to keep up. We love the excitement, the unscripted drama it delivers but demand a greater depth of engagement. Digital innovations are increasingly delivering that, offering fans new ways of experiencing sport. However, they are not just about fan experience. They also offer rights holders new ways to generate revenues, whether that’s from new sponsorship inventory, new rights opportunities or new ways to sell merchandise. So sports' future undoubtedly lies in realms, beyond our current reality…just so long as the quality of sport keeps pace.

TEC have extensive experience in creating digital platforms for sports rights holders that enhance the live event experience. If you're looking to create a new digital experience for your fans, players, VIPS, Media or any other stakeholder we'd be happy to help!