The sports technology industry is experiencing massive growth, with major trends centered on virtual and phygital sports, coaching technologies, innovations for female athletes and smart stadium experiences. As these technologies become more accessible, they empower sports practitioners to adopt more comprehensive and data-driven training and development approaches. For example, GPS-tracking devices like Catapult Vector Core simplify workload management and enable coaches to analyze athlete performance from a single platform.
Immersive technologies are also transforming the fan experience at stadiums. AR applications such as Second Spectrum’s CourtVision offer interactive graphics and real-time player data during live matches, enhancing the game viewing experience for fans. In addition, immersive VR solutions allow fans to witness games from a players’ perspective or even virtually attend from the comfort of their homes.
Personalized sports replays have become increasingly popular in elite leagues thanks to AI, which can generate video clips that cater to the interests of each individual viewer. For example, a company called WSC Sports uses computer vision to automatically create personalized highlights clips during the NBA Playoffs for each fan that watches the match.
Other smart tech is being deployed at stadiums to streamline operations and enhance safety and security. For instance, intelligent parking systems based on IoT sensors enable efficient traffic management, while facial recognition technology is being used at stadium entry points to facilitate touchless entry for pre-registered fans. Additionally, smart stadiums are using IoT sensor-based systems to monitor occupancy and environmental conditions, enabling energy savings and reducing waste.