Technology advancements in the sports industry

Sports are evolving. The way we used to watch sports 10 years back is so different from today. There is a massive change in technology and advancements in the field of sports. Fields like Broadcasting, tracking the fitness of the players, scouting, research, and development saw a massive rise in Indian sports.?

Indian market is still evolving and we are yet to fully revolutionize. With the massive Indian markets and the number of various sports played in the country, there was a need for a technological revolution in sports. The demands from the players rose massively, hence needing to know even the slightest detail about each aspect involved in sports.?

The introduction of technology has had a great impact on sports. Sports Technology has been a subject of interest among students.?

Technology has progressively penetrated the sports business value chain, with applications spanning the full value chain. For many years, game officials have employed new technology like the hawkeye to project the route of a ball. Broadcasters are increasingly adopting digital media, such as the internet and mobile applications, to reach an increasingly tech-savvy audience.

Let us have a look at some of the technologies that have revolutionized Sports:

Cameras

Every game is covered by a variety of cameras. Cameras almost nook and corner of the sporting field. The cameras can zoom into even the tiniest ant on the ground.

Sensors

Sensors are a crucial part of the smooth conditioning of the game. Sensors are used to track the speed of the ball, the trajectory with which the ball is moving, the amount of movement generated on the ball, how fast the player is travelling on the field, the pitching of the ball, and lots of other things.?

Sensors are also used on players' bodies to track their movements and all their health parameters.?

Wearable Technology

Wearable technology is nothing new in the world of fitness and athletics; advancements in sensor technology and accuracy have completely revolutionized the fitness tracker industry, making wearable tech one of the most significant technological advancements in sports.

Some years back, sports were only considered a 'skill-based' battle. With the rising demands in Sports, fitness became an integral part. Therefore, we saw a rise in Wearable Technology.?

Athletes and fitness enthusiasts can accurately measure metrics like steps taken, stairs climbed, calories burned, and so much more with high-end wearable technology. These devices can even track your sleep and provide useful information about how to improve your routine.

Sports Analysis using Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

This is the latest technology in sports. A lot of analysis is done live during the match. A huge amount of data is generated from sensors, wearable technology gadgets, and cameras. There are specialized Sports Analysts who analyze the data and give meaningful insights to the management or the player. They build a machine-learning model to train and test the data.?

The analysis is done for the following things:

Player Performance Analysis

Analysis of players is done considering their record, recent form, the opposition, venue, and many other aspects. The athlete is advised before the match to do certain things or avoid some things based on the analysis done by the engineers.?

Tactical Analysis

'Matchups' have been a very trending thing of late. Tactical analysis performed by Performance Analysts assists coaches in better understanding the impact of tactical decisions. It can also aid in the identification of specific tendencies and preferred tactical setups among opposing teams.

Analysis for Live Streaming

This consists of live match coding. Things like the average speed of a bowler in the spell, the wagon wheel, run-rate change every ball and need to be displayed to the user watching it on screen. Here, skilled technicians work behind the scenes to give us a detailed outlook of the match.?

Video Assistant Referee (VAR)

This latest technology has changed the fortunes of many teams in football matches.?

A team of referees in the control room analyses and corrects every missed call or non-call in the game, as well as goals, penalty calls, and cases of mistaken identity, using VAR.

The on-field officials are far from perfect. While the human aspect of refereeing is an important and exciting part of sports, we as fans want to see the best team (or athlete) win. VAR assists referees in making the correct calls every time, ensuring that the game is fair and equitable.

Review Systems:

The analysis is done from technologies like the snickometer, hawkeye, and ultra slow-motion cameras. The players can challenge the decisions of the on-field umpire, by making use of this advanced technology.??

Broadcasting

Broadcasting has been taken to another level in this decade. The viewers from home can get the actual feel of watching the match from the stadium. The spider cameras and the cameras on the helmets of the player, give you a very close look at the environment.?

The addition of interactive dashboards and live analysis has added another dimension to broadcasting.?

Using advanced graphics, 3D visuals and simulation has transformed the way a match is broadcasted to users.?

The servers of the online streaming platforms can handle huge traffic without the system getting affected.

Fan Engagement

Fan engagement has brought the audience closer. The audience can interact with each other by chatting on the streaming platforms. They can form communities and groups to have conversations during a live match.

Blockchain and NFTs

When it comes to sports, fan engagement drives the sports industry. In the industry, fan tokens and sports NFT are used to increase fan engagement. Collectables or voting mechanisms increase overall engagement. This has also influenced ticket collection.

Smart contracts help to streamline the process even further. Dynamic ticket pricing and resales will also improve.

By providing security and transparency, as well as utilizing the crypto token economy to create new revenue streams, blockchain has the potential to scale the sports NFT industry.

This latest technology has the potential to empower athletes by automating contract payments, providing more sports NFT marketplace, and lowering transaction costs.

Many football clubs including Real Madrid, Juventus, and PSG make have introduced NFTs and digital collectibles which are sold for lakhs.?