Governing Bodies Lead The Way When It Comes To Innovation In Sports Tech Industry

Governing bodies are leading the way when it comes to technology in sports, according to a new study, with Formula 1 and The Tour de France cited as the two most innovative organizations in the industry.

The inaugural Sports Technology Annual Report – a joint-effort by the Sports Technology Awards Group (STA Group) and the English Institute of Sport – examined the technological trends and the major drivers behind the market over the past year.

As ever, innovations could be divided into two categories – commercial and performance. The former includes areas such as venues, operations, fan engagement, broadcast, eSports and betting, while the latter covers fields such as data analytics, bioscience, health and coaching.

Sport technology

The report said that although it initially appeared as though most technology used in sport favored commercial needs rather than those of performance, it was worth pointing out that many teams and federations have advanced R&D programs where secrecy is a competitive advantage.

However governing bodies are also adept at using technology to boost the popularity of their sports and competitions. Formula 1’s commitment to sustainability and the use of analytics fan engagement secured it the top spot in the ‘Power List’, with the Tour de France’s digital strategy also receiving recognition.

The Emirates Team New Zealand sailing team was third, ahead of the NBA, European Tour Golf, the NFL, StatSports and Wimbledon. The remainder of the list included a mixture of major technology firms like IBM
IBM
and Intel
INTC
, broadcasting giants like the BBC and ESPN, as well as major teams like the City Football Group and McLaren F1. Nike
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was the only sporting goods manufacturer to make the list, with the report stating that the sector had stagnated somewhat.

Inevitably, the challenges of the Coronavirus pandemic have had an impact on the major trends. Some, such as artificial crowd noise, are likely to be short-term fixes for specific problems while others could have a more lasting impact.

For example, the growth of eSports appears to be a long-term trend while the connected fitness market is booming and has initiated a resurgence in the wearables sector.

However, if one single technological trend that defined the year it was the unstoppable ascent of data analytics, which infiltrated everything from performance to fan engagement. The appointment of in-house analysis experts that can use AI and Machine Learning techniques to maximize data assets was provided as evidence for this.

“Motorsport, sailing, golf, basketball, American football, and cycling are obvious areas being driven forward from the top down by their governing bodies,” said the report. “They understand risk, have a tolerance of it, and are open to the culture of innovation. Sports like football, which are seeing tech-led growth, are doing so thanks to companies which supply them and which service both the elite and grassroots markets.”

That motorsport should lead the pack should come as no great surprise but sailing and cycling, two other sports that heavily rely on the identification of marginal gains and development of advanced equipment, were also noted.

Sailing for example is using telemetry, video and television graphics to boost safety and make the sport more engaging for television viewers but also relies on simulation for boat development.

American football was deemed noteworthy for its campaign to improve player health, while soccer’s popularity means it is incredibly influential when it comes to broadcasting.