As is the case with virtually every part of our daily lives, the world of sport has benefitted immensely from the advances in technology since the turn of the millennium. From armchair spectators to sports bettors and professional athletes, the entire sporting spectrum has seen its fortunes improve thanks to technology over the last few years.
In fact, such is the significance of technology in sport that’s it’s now become a point of interest for academic institutions. Indeed, departments such as the Sport and Exercise Sciences Research Institute at the University of Ulster are now studying the growing links between technology and sport. However, we don’t need the findings of these academics to see what’s right in front of us when it comes to technology and sport.
Technology Makes Us Active When We’re Inactive
“Smartphone” by anykeyh
One obvious way in which technology has helped our engagement with sport is in the sports betting arena. Sports betting companies like 32Red now form part of a global industry that’s worth in excess of $41 billion and technology is helping to power that market. Today, when a punter logs into an iGaming website, they’ll not only see a slew of casino games, but thousands of sports betting options as well.
Whether it’s pre-match betting or in-play options, 32Red.com boasts 17,000 betting markets in the football arena alone and each of them is available at the touch of a button. What’s perhaps even more impressive is that players can access these options via their mobile devices. Essentially, this technology has enabled people to engage with their favourite sports whenever and wherever they like.
Indeed, when you look beyond the options at 32Red, you’ll see that platforms such as BetOnline.ag not only offer sporting odds, but ‘stats centres’ providing the latest data on teams and individuals. Similarly, a site like Sportingbet offers live video feeds for real money customers on everything from football to horse racing.
Essentially, if you’re looking to become an active spectator and invest some money in an event, technology has made this possible. In fact, you don’t even have to leave the comfort of your own home to do it.
Technology Opens Up Our Eyes
“Open Your Eyes and You’ll See it” by Tim Geers
Another obvious example of technology improving sport, specifically the viewing of it, is innovations such as Hawk-Eye replay technology. Developing sport solutions since 2001, Hawk-Eye Innovations is the company behind instant replay products such as Wimbledon’s shot cam and the Copa America’s goal-line technology.
Through a combination of high-speed cameras and visualisation software, Hawk-Eye has been able to produce instant replays that not only allow tennis officials but also spectators to see if a shot was in or out. From a playing perspective, this technology is fantastic because it helps settle any marginal calls. However, more significantly, it gives fans a better insight into the action and, therefore, makes them feel more engaged.
The same is true of goal-line technology in football. Hawk-Eye’s system uses ball-tracking technology to capture the action on the pitch. This information is processed by a computer program and a message can then be sent to the ref (who is wearing a watch-like device) to tell them whether it’s a goal or not.
Technology has Optimised Our Performance
“Jawbone UP” by Kazuhiro Keino
Another interesting way in which technology has helped improve the sports industry is through wearable tech. While professional athletes have worked with science departments for decades in order to monitor their heart rates, blood pressure, power output and everything else in between, casual athletes haven’t had this luxury.
However, all that has changed in recent years thanks to smart fitness trackers like Fitbit and Jawbone. Combining wearable devices with smartphone technology, these wristbands have enabled people to monitor their vital signs like never before and, importantly, improve their sporting performances.
According to Statista, 7.1 million fitness trackers were sold in Western Europe in 2015 and with technology constantly improving that figure is only set to increase in the coming years. As noted by the International Data Corporation (IDC), wearable tracker sales in 2015 increased by 171.6% over 2014 and people are now accepting them as essential pieces of sporting kit.
This increase in popularity is easy to appreciate when you look at a product like Jawbone’s Up3. As well as monitoring your heart rate, the device counts your steps, logs your calories and even analyses your sleep. By combining this data with a primary app and then a series of third-party apps, users can optimise everything from the time they go to bed to the amount of time they spend sitting down each day.
From a health and performance perspective, the insights provided by products such as Jawbone Up3 are hugely significant and the reason technology is now inseparable from sport. In fact, as we look to the future of sport and technology, virtual reality is likely to become a major player in the game. Whether it’s fitness fanatics entering a virtual gym to train, or professional athletes running through scenarios using virtual reality headsets, there are plenty of ways for sport and technology to continue their mutually beneficial relationship.
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