Kvekhdria Pyrnathos 
The way people experience sports is vastly different from years gone by. When you settle in front of the television to watch a big sports event, beyond the physical and skilled output of elite athletes on the day, a vast amount of technology has gone into the preparation.
Coaches and trainers benefit from extremely precise data that has been analyzed to gain an extra 1% from their players and teams. From having AI set up for analyzing game footage to the wearable smart gear available, the world of sports has changed drastically.
But it’s not just on the field of play, either, because fans haven’t been left behind in the revolution. Thanks to interactive and customizable suites of streaming options packed full of features, technology has elevated being a fan to the next level as well.
Data Gathering
The volume of data gathering that training staff do about the athletes they are responsible for is almost unfathomable. Everything from top speed and acceleration to jump height, strength, and deceleration are put into the data banks for analysis.
Heart rate, blood oxygen level, ECG, and EMG data are all recorded, along with any environmental data such as altitude and humidity. This is typically all collected by wearable devices, which have become commonplace on the training ground.
This is much the same as the rich analysis that bookmakers do behind the scenes. They rely on precise data in order to set the lines you see at online sportsbooks—providing the most accurate odds to minimize their risk.
What the Data is Used For
All the gathered data is used to optimize training regimens, even down to the gains from carefully controlled nutrition used to great fuel athletes. An example is a focus on a basketball player to get more out of their take-off when driving to the net or a broader view of how best a particular player fits into an NHL line-up.
Fitness levels, of course, are the key to elite performance, from endurance and speed to physical strength. However, there is also another side to the impact of the data that are recorded, and that is injury prevention. Sports teams invest heavily in their players, and injuries can prove extremely costly on and off the field. Precise tracking of physiological responses and development can help to prevent pushing players beyond their limits.
Video Referee
One of the most visible areas of how technology has been integrated into modern sports is through VAR (video-assisted referee). With immediate access to video replays, officials behind the scenes can look at multiple angles that may not have been accessible to the on-field referee at the time.
Tennis and cricket have long used Hawkeye technology to get decisions correct, NHL referees will go to the “war room” on tight decisions, and soccer has seen a massive growth of VAR usage, with technology like semi-automated AI off-side decisions evolving.
Where AI Helps
One of the biggest revolutions in pretty much everyone’s lives has been AI, which can help with everything from setting up a marathon training plan to organizing a virtual watch party for the Super Bowl. Because of its processing power, AI can help sports teams analyze collected data.
AI can clean up all the information that comes in from wearables and spot patterns within it all. This can involve something as refined and niche as a shooting angle for a hockey player or revealing the reasons for a soccer team’s defensive weakness and where goals against them are coming from.
It can also help teams move forward with planning because of the predictive modeling power that AI has, which can help with setting up tactics. By analyzing footage from the previous game and adding in training data, it can all be put together to formulate a future plan of success for a team. This can include anything from attacking directives to substitutions to what defensive set-up is needed to nullify threats.
Sports Businesses
While fans just want to see the action on the pitch, a sports team has to worry about the financial side of things running as a business, and this is another area that has benefited from the rapid integration of technology.
Sports teams can give fans personalized experiences on their devices, thanks to AI learning, which can target individuals with things like tailored merchandising. Merchandise is a big part of a sports team’s revenue, and automated systems for shopping platforms have boosted variety and service.
There are further nuanced areas of the running of a sports business where technology has stepped in. Through data analysis, teams can optimize things like ticket pricing based on demand, and fans can use apps to easily snap up those tickets.
Technology Lifts the Fan Experience
The casual sports fan has received a massive boost from all the input into technology that has come along in recent times.
The sheer volume of sports streaming content has provided high-quality access to watch any game at any time, with fast mobile apps adding to the overall convenience. Watching sports no longer means being locked in front of a big screen.
On-demand replays, choice of camera angles, commentary in any language required, and access to in-game statistics have given viewers a more immersive experience. Video conference software has helped bring fans from all around the world closer through virtual viewing parties, and then there’s social media.
Fans can closely monitor all the latest happenings from their favorite sports leagues, teams, and individual athletes through social media accounts. Everything from the latest team news, injuries, and highlights from the latest win are all shared with fans around the world in the blink of an eye. Fans can comment and discuss the latest happenings on social media, all gathered in one spot from far-flung corners of the world.
In Conclusion
By leveraging the power of technology, teams and athletes can get a complete picture of what training needs to be done and get insights into tactics, all to gain a competitive edge. It has, quite simply, raised the levels of professionalism in traditional sports, and that same technological wave has also created a golden age for fans, who have unparalleled access to their favorite teams through streaming and social media.
