Sports Tech Trends to Watch Out for in 2019

Vivek Khare, Director IT, DailyHunt

Technology is making significant changes in sports – changes that are global, effective, and most of the times, positive; improving the quality of game in terms of safety, competition, and access for both the players and the fans.

Every day there is a breakthrough in unlocking a tech-goal that brings revolution in different sports. Innovation has become a vital part of progress in sports. All this progress has been given one term to sum it up and that is ‘Sports Tech’.

Smart Sports Equipment

A certain degree of an athlete or sportsman performance depends on the quality of equipment he or she plays with. 2019 is going to be the era of smart equipment domination. These advanced-functioning equipment are designed to record real-time data of their performance, and highlight ways of improvement through features like cameras and sensors.

The sports federations and investors are now providing athletes with the best sports equipment in the market, and there are all kinds of them. There are sensors attached to gloves and bats for Cricket and Volleyball which detects the swing, speed, and distance of the ball.

360 Cameras to do the Judgment

The human eye can never be as accurate as high-quality lenses. Thanks to the advanced technology, we now have better ‘replay options’ which help umpires and referees to make the right call. Although the replay technology is not new with the assistance of VR and 360 degree camera, the chances in error of judgment are almost zero.

The most recent example of adapting better camera technology is FIFA, which implemented goal-line technology. It operates with live references to demonstrate if a goal was scored or not.

Fitness Labs and Smart Applications

Advance player-tracking tech is the new face of coaching courses for star players. Platforms and wearables like FieldWiz and PlayerTek have become essential for coaches and players to collect data and study it to enhance performance. ‘DribbleUp’ is a similar platform for soccer.

 
‘Kitman Labs’ for example, the multi-dimensional platform which introduces new technologies that assist sportsmen in optimizing their performance. They are associated with teams like the NFL's Miami Dolphins and English Premier LeagueClubs' Everton FC. They use data to devise specific training plans that tell coaches about athlete’s suitable schedule, break durations, and accommodations that are needed to adjust a workout to strengthen a player who might be susceptible to injury.

You’re in The Show with Virtual Reality

The virtual technology assists players to improve performance by giving them close to reality field environment during practice. It is also safer for players to practice in a digitized setting to minimize the chances of any injury.  Moreover, virtual reality is offering fans a better viewing experience. 2019 is predicted to be the year when virtual reality will be featured more frequently to improve both the playing and spectating experiences.

2019 is the year when sports tech is dominating with new trends; trends that benefit the viewers, fans and the players.

However, VR isolates the viewer from surrounding experience and for that reason alone it may not become widely popular, yet the viewers who want more close, detailed and uninterrupted experience are waiting for more content on VR. Personalized Fan Experience & Digital Marketing

eSports

The eSports industry has experienced enormous growth in recent years by generating huge revenue and viewership. In 2018, the total e-sport interaction boasted worldwide. Overall 215 million occasional viewers and 165 million practitioners were recorded. The total number of people exceeded almost 380 million.

Broadcast & Streaming

Media experts predict that year 2019 is a revolutionary year for streaming, broadcasting, and OTT (over the top) media services. Before, tech sports revolution, live sports streaming rights were limited to giant sports broadcaster. But as technology has taken over, many tech platforms like Amazon and Facebook have stepped into the game of live streaming and broadcasting, providing people upgraded mediums to watch sports anywhere.