How to Leverage Sports Technology Trends to Deliver on Long-Promised Impacts

Whether it’s fan engagement, athlete monitoring, VR training or the rise of women’s sports, these technologies have transformed the sporting landscape. They also pose challenges for organizations looking to leverage these emerging technologies and deliver on their long-promised impacts. The key to success will be to reassure fans about how their data is used, understand the needs of their audience before deploying technology, and offer a full range of in-stadium and out-of-stadium experiences.

The emergence of wearables, performance analysis and AI tools continue to be game-changers for teams and athletes at all levels. For example, for semi-professional football clubs, enhanced access to advanced technology such as Catapult Vector devices and high-level video analysis capabilities is transformative, enabling them to train players, mitigate the risks of injury and develop strategies akin to elite teams.

As artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms continue to advance, they can now be applied to break down complex sports data sets and provide actionable insights for coaches and athletes. This allows them to fine-tune player mechanics and improve strategy in ways that would have been impossible a decade ago. Examples include analyzing swing mechanics, measuring the velocity of a baseball pitch or the defensive positioning of players on a field.

Augmented reality (AR) continues to revolutionise the sports experience for both fans and athletes, allowing them to see virtual overlays of sports stats or betting odds on top of real-time footage from their seats in stadiums. This can improve the experience for fans and enhance monetization opportunities for sports organizations.

2024 – The Year of Viral Sports Moments

In the age of social media, athletes and sports leagues are increasingly reliant on these platforms to connect with fans in real time and build their brands. But, sometimes, what happens off the field of play makes more waves than on it. These viral sports moments go beyond mere entertainment, transcending their sport and generating cultural conversation.

Whether they’re funny, interesting or both, these moments grab attention and are shared far and wide. It’s no wonder that 2024 has been a remarkable year for viral sports moments. From Luke Littler’s eloquent darts tribute to fallen service members to the Cam Newton saga and more, these micro-moments are bringing people together in ways they wouldn’t have before.

The “Butt Fumble” has long stood as one of the most infamous sports moments in history. Replayed on sports broadcasts and endlessly dissected by commentators, the moment is a constant reminder of the perils of bad judgment under pressure.

The NBA and NASCAR have both been major players in the world of viral sports moments this year. NBA star Steph Curry’s post about honoring a fallen soldier drew over 25 million views on the league’s Facebook page, while a touching video from NASCAR for Memorial Day received over 4.32% engagement. The Olympics have also seen their fair share of viral sports moments, with Pommel Horse Guy winning a bronze medal and going on “Dancing with the Stars,” Ilona Maher rumbling over Aussies, and more.

GL Events As Official Transport Supplier for Asian Games 2026

The 2026 Asian Games will take place in Aichi Prefecture and Nagoya City from September 19 to October 4. They are the next big event for all of Japan after the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games, and will provide a platform to further deepen exchange across Asia.

In a bid to ensure that the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games are as successful as possible, GL events has signed a basic partnership agreement as the official transport supplier for the event. As the company already has a presence in Aichi through the management of the Aichi Sky Expo convention and exhibition centre, this new collaboration demonstrates GL events’ passion for major projects, as well as its ambition to support territories that host these events.

Despite a rumour that Aichi may withdraw from hosting the Games, the city government has made it clear that it will continue to push ahead with the bidding process. The Olympic Council of Asia is expected to choose the 2026 venue at its General Assembly in Danang, Vietnam on September 25.

As part of its preparations for the event, Aichi has outlined the key transport infrastructure it plans to use to get people around and deliver its vision of ‘Innovative Games for a Connected World’. This includes the construction of a new transportation hub for the Games, as well as a network of high-speed railway lines connecting Aichi and Nagoya to Tokyo and other major cities in Japan.

Champions League Legends

In the seven decades since its creation, Champions League has forged a rich tapestry of legends. It has consecrated Europe’s best clubs while immortalizing those that defied logic or broke hearts. From the first title won by Real Madrid in 1956 to last season’s final against Liverpool, it has been a tournament of unforgettable matches and epic comebacks.

The competition’s format has changed with each new era. It now begins with a group stage of 32 teams who are divided into eight groups of four. A randomized draw assigns the clubs to their respective groups, with seeding used to ensure competitive balance. Each team plays the others in their group twice, home and away, with three points awarded for a win and one point for a tie. The winners and runners-up of each group advance to the knockout phase. The third-placed team enters the Europa League.

UEFA has recently introduced the concept of home priority, which gives each club that finished in positions 1-4 in their group at least two of their return matches for the rounds of 16, quarterfinals and semifinals. The idea is to reward teams that fought hard in the group phase and played well against their opponents, although many have been unhappy with the nuances of this system. For example, last year Arsenal were upset that a draw placed them at home to Paris Saint-Germain for the second leg of their semifinal when they could have received the advantage of playing first and then playing the team who knocked them out.