From virtual and phygital sports to innovative coaching technologies and advancements for female athletes, technology has never been more important in sport. But as the industry faces new expectations from fans and a renewed push for equity and sustainability, technology will need to go beyond the stadium.
With new opportunities to draw fans closer through immersive experiences and personalized fan engagement, teams will need to use technology across the business — from performance analytics, athlete recruitment and development, ticketing and business operations to ecommerce and digital media. Among 2024’s biggest sports technology trends, predictive analysis software is becoming more commonplace in elite leagues.
Keeping players healthy and fit has become more critical than ever. Wearable technology helps reduce injury risk by linking movement data to recovery plans. Training load monitoring compares recent sessions to long-term data and identifies sudden spikes that require adjustment or rest, reducing overuse injuries. Moreover, biometric mental health tracking measures stress and brain function, while AI coaching assistants provide real-time game analysis and tactical tips. And smart compression wear measures pressure and enables tailored training.
In addition, digital knitting technologies allow sensors to be seamlessly woven into athletic apparel and equipment to measure force distribution patterns without bulky data relay packs. And VR is catching up with physical training, as players can run plays in VR hundreds of times without getting tired, improving decision-making and muscle memory.
At the same time, stadiums are transforming into year-round hubs that offer concerts, retail and more in their venues or surrounding “mixed use” areas. Enhanced tech is fueling these changes, with 5G capabilities and augmented reality making for seamless in-app food ordering, ticket purchasing and live stats. And at entry points, security will feature biometrics like facial recognition by Idemia and Evolv to enable touchless scanning for pre-registered fans.