Sports Technology: Bringing in the Bucks
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Sport: A battle between players or teams after which the victor jubilates in the changing rooms and the loser is left to nurse his wounds. The promise of winners and losers is what drives hundreds and thousands of fans to stadiums around the world every year.
Companies pay top-dollar to get their names in front of spectators. In 2005, it cost $2.4m to run a 30-second advertisement during the Superbowl. $10m to $20m will buy you primary sponsorship of a NASCAR team. In 2006/2007 it cost approximately £20m for shirt sponsorship at top English football clubs.
But you can only fit so many people into a stadium, and because sport is now a multi-billion dollar industry with multiple revenue streams (including property, media, licensing/merchandising, and sponsorships), organziers want as much exposure as possible.
So how do you attract more people to the stadium and how do you keep fans in front of television screens? Well, one would think that a competitive match would be enough. But it isn't. Today's sophisticated fans require added value. Enter technology.
Technology has played a growing role in professional sports. Most recently these technologies include: super-accurate timing devices for races, sensors, instant slow-motion replays, and so on. In fact, most sports rely on technology of some sort to ensure that the game is fair, that the timing is accurate and that bad umpiring is minimized. But technology has also been developed to provide spectators with up-to-the-second statistics, incredible camera angles and instant commentary, no matter where they are.
IBM, for example, has integrated its technology into the 2011 Australian Open to such an extent that the entire event could almost not run without it. Big Blue unabashedly comments that:
Yes, their mandate is to engage fans in new ways. That means everything from super-sized scoreboards around the courts, to augmented reality apps for mobile devices in the stadium complex, to multiple servers connecting the Australian Open website to real-time information, to sophisticated data aggregation and management software. See this marvellous picture gallery on ZDNet showcasing IBM's technology at the 2011 Australian Open.
This article on MSNBC.com discusses "virtual replay" technology, where participants in a marathon can see a virtual animation of themselves running around the course and can compare their speed and progress to other runners at every moment.
Let's not forget the 2010 Soccer World Cup that had games broadcast in 3D:
According to this web site, the appeal of 3D television to viewers is that it makes you feel like you are at the game:
What do you think the next big thing will be to draw the crowds to the stadium or screen?
Sport: A battle between players or teams after which the victor jubilates in the changing rooms and the loser is left to nurse his wounds. The promise of winners and losers is what drives hundreds and thousands of fans to stadiums around the world every year.
Companies pay top-dollar to get their names in front of spectators. In 2005, it cost $2.4m to run a 30-second advertisement during the Superbowl. $10m to $20m will buy you primary sponsorship of a NASCAR team. In 2006/2007 it cost approximately £20m for shirt sponsorship at top English football clubs.
But you can only fit so many people into a stadium, and because sport is now a multi-billion dollar industry with multiple revenue streams (including property, media, licensing/merchandising, and sponsorships), organziers want as much exposure as possible.
So how do you attract more people to the stadium and how do you keep fans in front of television screens? Well, one would think that a competitive match would be enough. But it isn't. Today's sophisticated fans require added value. Enter technology.
Technology has played a growing role in professional sports. Most recently these technologies include: super-accurate timing devices for races, sensors, instant slow-motion replays, and so on. In fact, most sports rely on technology of some sort to ensure that the game is fair, that the timing is accurate and that bad umpiring is minimized. But technology has also been developed to provide spectators with up-to-the-second statistics, incredible camera angles and instant commentary, no matter where they are.
IBM, for example, has integrated its technology into the 2011 Australian Open to such an extent that the entire event could almost not run without it. Big Blue unabashedly comments that:
IBM has been the Official Technology Partner of the Australian Open since 1993. This constant cycle of events sets up a perpetual stream of innovation that sees the technology engage fans in new ways, year on year.(emphasis added)
Yes, their mandate is to engage fans in new ways. That means everything from super-sized scoreboards around the courts, to augmented reality apps for mobile devices in the stadium complex, to multiple servers connecting the Australian Open website to real-time information, to sophisticated data aggregation and management software. See this marvellous picture gallery on ZDNet showcasing IBM's technology at the 2011 Australian Open.
This article on MSNBC.com discusses "virtual replay" technology, where participants in a marathon can see a virtual animation of themselves running around the course and can compare their speed and progress to other runners at every moment.
Let's not forget the 2010 Soccer World Cup that had games broadcast in 3D:
FIFA estimates that a cumulative audience of more than 26 billion people tuned in to watch the 64 matches of the tournament in the rainbow nation. All matches were transmitted in HDTV, and some 25 matches...were even broadcast using next-generation 3D technology... Sony’s broadcasting equipment for 3D was in use at five stadiums: Soccer City and Ellis Park in Johannesburg and the venues in Durban, Cape Town and Port Elizabeth.(emphasis added)
According to this web site, the appeal of 3D television to viewers is that it makes you feel like you are at the game:
Panasonic’s 3D technology excels at creating levels and layers of depth that you simply cannot experience unless you are at a live game.And sports fans have a lot to look forward to. Sports organizations the world over are constantly looking for ways to keep people watching, because that's what brings in the advertising and sponsorship bucks.
What do you think the next big thing will be to draw the crowds to the stadium or screen?
Good article. A follow-up point could discuss the different technologies used to attract people to the stadium vs to sit and watch TV. And which do advertisers really prefer?
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