Digitization may not be the new concept for the new generation but the older generation knows how it has every business sector. Digitization has led to new business models for manufacturers. The innovation is not limited to the new techs like mobile phones, gadgets, and AI. It is an always-growing thing that would shape the future. Business and the entertainment world have benefitted hugely due to the modern digitization and sport is obviously no exception here.
Digitization in Different Areas of the Sports
Sports Broadcasting
If we take the simple example of digitization in sports then it would be broadcasting. At the beginning of the last century, fans used to read about any sports events in the newspaper a day later. But things got changed then people were able to listen to the live commentary through radios. Live telecasting of the game on the TV is still popular but with more development in the tech world has made it possible to watch live game regardless of where you are with a smartphone in our hands.
Training and Preparation
Other than broadcasting, there are areas of application in the preparation and follow-up of game situations. Video coaching has been offering significant advantages in competition preparation. With the help of video recordings, trainers can evaluate completed matches and thus adapt the training of their trainees. The physical boards are replaced by digital screens. The data of the opponents can appear on it, as well as their strengths and weaknesses, moves can be illustrated, and much more. It can help in training more effectively as visualization makes it easier to grasp new things.
The training can already be refined with electronic helpers. From the heart rate monitor to the fitness tracker to virtual reality glasses, there are many gadgets for healthcare. Even in the private sector, fitness trackers have arrived. They too are part of the digital sports age. They measure heart rate, calorie consumption, and record distances and activities. Each of these devices is now a small, independent coach. The achievements of virtual reality also offer many advantages, especially for outdoor sports.
Decision Making
The recorded video evidence is already popular these days in many sports. In a control center full of screens and computers, supporting referees decide how a situation is to be assessed and whether the referee on the field should reconsider his decision or not. Errors and wrong decisions can be avoided through digital solutions. We have a lot more development to see in the future.
Sports Betting Ticket Sales
Betting on sports is not a new thing. People used to stand in the queue at the bookmakers. Now things have changed and players can make bets through the internet from their mobile phones. There are a number of trusted sports betting platforms that offer reliable and secure services. Bets can be placed within seconds on any sports they want.
Ticket sales are becoming more and more digital. This increases the speed and reduces the effort. The result is a higher degree of personalization and a better overall experience for the viewer. Achievements like virtual and augmented reality can be used to support the personalization and individual design of a sporting event.
Tracking Players and Playing Equipment
This practical implementation can primarily be found in professional sport. This arrived in many sports games including football, basketball, racing, and many others. With multiple cameras in the fields and GPS tracker in the playing gears in games like cricket, football, basketball, and many more. Such things can be used as Olympic teams employ their own analysts to evaluate data.
Interaction Between Players and the Fans
Appointment planning has been revolutionized from local sports clubs to world champions, and contact with fans can also be maintained differently via social media than it was a few years ago. So, digitization has also built a bridge of interaction between fans and the players.
Benefits and Drawbacks
One of the great advantages of sports digitization is the security and safety it creates. It helps to avoid accidents and hazardous situations. These developments also make athletes more successful. So, there are always new records for the audience. There are rarely any uncertainties about a victory. With the new cameras and the technologies, times and distances can be measured to the milliseconds and millimeters.
Well, there are many impactful drawbacks of digitization in sports. But when the team or player that has better technique wins, there is no more thrill of entertainment. The emotion and feeling of the sport can be lost. The feeling of attending playing arenas is also lost due to the live streaming on smartphones. On the other hand, the constant data analyzes are simply not as efficient as expected and hardly make a difference.
Bottom line
It is obvious that digitization would have a powerful impact on sports in the future and will shape it differently. Perhaps it is up to the players and the fans who have to be dynamic and change themselves according to the new developments. It would not be right to say whether such changes shall have positive or negative impacts. The more innovative and constructive ideas are taken in, the higher the possibility of largely positive effects.
