The future of global sports is a fascinating topic, and it contains so many exciting points which are now emerging all around us. Come along as we look at what to expect in the coming years.
The future of global sports looks promising, with new opportunities for athletes and fans alike. Esports is growing in popularity, and new technologies are making it easier than ever to watch and participate in sports from anywhere in the world. With the right policies in place, the global sports industry can continue to grow and bring benefits to athletes, fans, and economies worldwide.
By 2025, the global sports industry is envisaged to be worth $599.9. The future in the sports arena will be driven mainly by technological advancements, social issues, and global access to sports.
Technological advancement will push sports to new levels
There was a time when sports and technology did not always get along. When it came to sports, technology was often confined to the sidelines – think of the shot clock in basketball or using an electronic sensor to track a baseball’s speed. However, today the two fields are experiencing an unprecedented fusion – new technology is now moving further and further onto the playing field. And it is not only changing how sports are played, but also creating entirely new ones.
Sports will follow other sectors transformed by artificial intelligence (AI) technology. In the future, AI will manage teams, draft players, and even schedule games. In addition, the application of data science like machine learning (ML) will allow athletes to track their performance much more precisely than ever before.
The first signs of this fusion are already apparent. For example, in 2017, the sports world experienced a shift – for the first time in history, professional European football leagues have begun using video reviews in their games – VAR (Video assistant referee).
As technology advances, so will the integration of AI and ML into sports. This article discusses three possible scenarios for what sports look like on the other side of the fourth industrial revolution.
1. Sports Media will experience a paradigm shift
Traditional sports media, like TV broadcasts, will begin to decline. It is likely that within the next 10 years, new sports media platforms will be fully digitalised, and streaming will become the main type of broadcast instead of cable or TV. In other words, pay per view will become the norm. So, a Sports Netflix will become a thing.
To add to this, content creation and broadcast will become more autonomous – the days of big media companies producing content are dying. Instead, digital tools will allow smaller players to become content creators, including clubs and the average individual.
Meanwhile, new types of sports media will appear. Some might be game-changing, like live holographic projections of athletes. These more advanced media types will likely appear in niche sports with big audiences, such as e-sports and extreme sports.
2. Sports will become more global than ever before
Technology allows people to compete all around the world. For example, esports is already well-known for its international competitions held in stadiums in front of live audiences, complete with the glitz and glam of a traditional sports event. Hundreds of spectators watch these competitions as players utilise advanced technology to play games like Fortnite and others.
Traditional sports, too, will become global. With the rise of technologies, the world will become a smaller place, and athletes from all corners of the planet will compete on a global stage. With the internet, fans will also have fewer barriers to following their favourite teams and games.
3. Sports will become even more competitive
As technology evolves, the level of competition in sports will increase. Athletes will be able to track their performance with precision. The availability of data about athletes’ performance will create a higher level of competition within teams and between them, as it will allow them to better understand their strengths and weaknesses compared to their opponents. Team management tools that utilise data science will also improve competitive dynamics between teams vying for victory.
Imagine, for example, that each player’s performance is measured by several criteria that are then aggregated into one. This metric will then inform the team’s strategy and tactics. As a result, sports Management tools that use AI and ML will lead to fewer coaching mistakes, increased player performance, and improved efficiency.
In the future, it won’t be out of place to see AI manage teams, help draft players, and make real-time decisions as a coach would.
4. New sports will appear
As technology advances, new sports will likely appear. Just as the internet created a virtual space for social media and gaming, advances in tech will probably create new types of sports.
AR/VR/AI all present the possibility of creating new, immersive sports. Perhaps we will start to see a global phenomenon like the e-sports League of Legends, but for VR.
In summary, sports will continue to evolve. There is a good chance that advances in technology will drive the next major shift in sports. It is also likely that we’ll see the introduction of new sports that will become just as popular and mainstream as traditional ones.
5. Sports Stadiums will become designed to provide the ultimate fan experience
The way fans will watch their favourite teams and athletes will change. The old stadium model, where fans sit in a place for several hours, will continue to exist. But it will likely become a less popular option. In its place, we’ll see stadiums remodelled to better suit the future fan – dynamic, with a focus on mixed reality experiences.
AR/VR, AI, 5G, Holograms, and other technologies will come together to make the stadium experience more interactive, more personal, and even more enjoyable. Waiting times, queues, and the simple inconvenience of attending a game in person will be made obsolete. Instead, fans will be able to watch their teams play, even when competing on the other side of the world, as though they were sitting in their living room.
6. Sports will become hyper-personalised
As technology advances, sports content will become hyper-personalised. Personalised viewing algorithms will tailor each fan’s experience to their preferences by personalised viewing algorithms. If today’s fan has one hundred channels to choose from, the future fan will have thousands of customised viewing options based on their preferences and what is happening in the world.
Global Access to Sports
Sports teams will adopt new ownership models
Today’s sports team owners are primarily individuals or companies. Tomorrow, these organisations will be joined by fans themselves, and in the future, fans will have a more significant say in the management of their favourite teams.
Athletes will wield more power
Athletes are the star players in their respective sports. As they become more popular and capable of carrying entire leagues on their backs, they will begin to wield more power than ever before. They will have a say in what sponsors they partner with, the use of their image, and what the rules of their respective sports look like.
Fan engagement and loyalty will be redefined
Sports organisations and teams will use technology to better engage with their fans, from a grassroots level all the way up to the highest tier. In addition, players, coaches, and other public figures will be able to connect with their fans in new ways that we aren’t capable of doing today, further enhancing the fan-athlete relationship.
We strongly believe that in the future, fans will own teams. Fans will engage more due to increased control over their teams, the players they sign, and their decisions. As a result, fan engagement will be redefined, and community building will become an integral part of any sports organisation.
Esports competitions will rival traditional ones in popularity
Today, esports is still a relatively new industry. It has grown rapidly over the last decade and is still in its infancy. However, we believe that it will become a mainstream sport in the future.
There will be global changes in how sports are consumed, played, and bet on. What was once considered a purely physical activity is now available as a digital experience as well. In the future, sports will become more global, and professional organisations will work to better engage with their fans on a local level.
Esports games are already trendy among young people worldwide, particularly in North America and Europe. Over time, esports will become a global phenomenon in which people can compete professionally from all over the world, regardless of their age or their physical abilities.
Conclusion
There you have it, a brief look at how global sports might evolve in the future. We can’t wait to see what comes next!
