Sports organizations are increasingly recognizing that digital technologies offer unique opportunities to strengthen engagement with fans, drive ticket sales, and create new avenues for growth. This includes using data to personalize fan experiences and engage with them in innovative ways that aren’t possible with traditional methods.
The sports technology market is booming with investments in fitness tech up 43% last year and B2B solutions accounting for almost half of the total funding. The sector is dominated by North America and fueled by a growing interest in alternative sports like soccer, esports, and mixed martial arts (MMA).
With fan engagement a top priority for many sports organizations, new technologies are being introduced that offer personalized services and improve the stadium experience. These include mobile apps that allow fans to choose their seat, order food and beverages from their seats, and receive live event updates. In addition, the emergence of smart stadiums is transforming traditional sports arenas with real-time analytics and smart building systems.
Wearables are also gaining popularity with sports teams, as they enable coaches to monitor athlete health and performance during training sessions. For example, instrumented mouthguards, such as those developed by companies like HITIQ, can track impacts and help athletes understand how severe or mild they were. This allows them to better manage their injury risk and return-to-play protocols to avoid over-exposing players to dangerous situations.
Additionally, AI is transforming the sport performance analysis process by providing predictive algorithms that identify potential risks, such as player injuries, and optimize team strategies. This is achieved by analyzing footage of game play and identifying patterns that can be used to predict future performance. This can also be used to improve player selection and scout talent.