Sports Tech: Top Technology Trends Reshaping Sports
Do you remember how Oakland A’s general manager was able to turn the team around by replacing traditional scouting with analytics-based scouting in Moneyball?
Well, that is exactly how technology is transforming sports.
Technology plays an irreplaceable role in how fans consume sports content. Over time, its role in sports has evolved to become more than just letting fans stream sports online.
Now we are seeing technology in almost every aspect of sports like promoting sports entertainment, recruiting athletes, offering pre and post-match analysis, and observing audience engagement. In fact, technology is not only set to transform sports for us, but it is also disrupting the traditional practices in sports.
Let us discuss how various technologies are reforming sports:
- Data Analytics for Sports
Data analytics has become an essential part of decision-making regardless of the field. Be it business, finance, or healthcare, data analytics is being used in all industries to improve processes.
Similarly, it is gaining a lot of attention in sports as well and has become a separate domain, known as sports analytics. There is a growing trend in teams hiring sports analytics experts to plan out their pre-game strategies based on their athletes’ performance analytics.
Sports analytics uses sports data like goals, fouls, red cards, winning shots, home runs, etc. based on the game type and player. This data is run through intelligent machine-learning models that generate clear insights which are then used in game plans. These insights are also used to plan training for each player, polish their best skill, and improve on problem areas.
All in all, sports analytics is slowly eliminating guesswork from the domain and replacing it with data-backed decision-making
- Wearable Tech
Wearable tech is an innovative way to track athlete’s performance and physical health. It refers to wearable electronic devices that collect physical health and performance data for athletes.
Wearable tech includes GPS vests, which collect performance data such as speed and movement. This data is used in analytics to form strategies based on players’ physical capabilities. There are also heart-rate monitors, accelerometers, motion sensors, fitness bands, and wearable cameras. These devices work together to give insights into player’s stamina and performance which allows coaches to customize training for them.
Wearable Technology in Sports improves players performance and safety.
This technology not only improves the performance of players but also increases the winning chances of teams by giving insights into metrics like speed, distance, heart rate, impact, biochemical analysis, etc. Lastly, wearable technology is used in sports like football, baseball, ice hockey, and rugby.
- Immersive Experiences with VR and AR
Virtual and Augmented Reality are gaining popularity in sports to make experiences more immersive. They are being used not only to entertain sports fans but also to train athletes.
VR and AR are used in sports broadcasts to engage fans better. Not only does this make sports more entertaining, but it also makes it more immersive, making the audience feel like they are a part of the game. Broadcasters are already using AR for this feat and found that it leads to a 15% increase in viewer engagement.
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Similarly, VR and AR are used to help in training athletes. Immersive training significantly reduces the risk of injury during training and allows athletes to practice in competitive scenarios. Sports like motorsports have discovered great value in training racers through immersive technologies like AR and VR.
- Intelligent Injury Prevention
Injuries are a major risk to athletes’ performance. They affect the game season as well as the entire career of an athlete. It is no surprise that technology is being used to save athletes from injuries.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is an important player in this feat. AI models analyze the data from wearable tech to detect movements that are highly likely to cause injuries. Players’ biomechanics are also used to further detect any risks and guide them to reduce the chances of physical injuries. Computer vision is also used in this case to analyze player motions and postures and correct them to minimize the chances of injury.
Biomechanics plays an important role in digital injury prevention
NFL’s (National Football League) recent partnership with the AWS (Amazon Web Services) is the best example of using AI to prevent injuries. With so much money and the players’ entire careers at stake, it minimizes injuries with intelligent injury prevention insights and improves player safety. Plus, it also positively contributes to the business aspect of the NFL as well.
Overall, technology’s application in sports has shown us promising results. Not only are these changes highly transformative, but they are also making sports safer and more engaging.
