Major sports codes in Australia are trying to figure out how to engage and attract younger fans, and they are looking to technology not only to gain and retain fans but also to get fans into the stadium.  

Technological development is rapidly changing almost every facet of the business of live sports and as sport changes both on and off the field, innovation has become a key priority for all industry stakeholders.

The live sports viewing experience has changed significantly in the last 10 years. Rapid advances in digital and video technologies has been the main driver of this change and there’s barely any part of the sports broadcasting and viewing ecosystem that been left untouched. One of the key changes has been the way it is consumed by fans both in the stadium and at-home.

The rise of smartphones with large high-resolution screens and new platforms (social media) has led to fans seeking on-demand, immersive and personalised viewing experiences.

Competition for new fans has also shifted from other leagues and codes to everything and anything that any individual can now do in any moment. In response, not only do teams, leagues, and events need to be personally relevant at match time, they need to be available on-demand for their ever-demanding fan base.

As sport changes both on and off the field, innovation has become a key priority for all industry stakeholders. In this report, we highlight some of the key trends and innovations that are transforming the business of live sports, analyse the results from Venture Insights’ consumer survey on the in-stadium sports viewing experience and how 5G could play an important role in the sports broadcasting and viewing landscape.

Contents

Introduction

The live sports experience is changing…

5G will play an important role

• Enhanced stadium experience for sports fans
• Immersive AR/VR to will drive fan engagement
• Transforming the in-stadium experience – its game on for 5G

Wearables and data – bringing fans closer to the action

AI, Chatbots and sports

Diversified distribution and new broadcast technologies

Conclusion

List of charts/tables

Figure 1. When you are watching live sports at a sports stadium or event, do you also use your smartphone to see the live broadcast coverage or get statistics?

Figure 2. Immersive VR experience

Figure 3. Catapult Sports Wearable and analytics platform

Figure 4. Fantom – a smartband for Manchester City fans

Figure 5. Chatbots are reshaping fan engagement

Figure 6. Telstra’s presentation on LTE-B at the MWC 2019