Sport is important in so many ways. At its most basic level, it is a great form of exercise. But it’s also a huge industry and an important part of the culture of almost every country on the planet.Technology plays an important role in revolutionizing the sports industry with you can call this term Sports Technology.
Professional sports have come a long way over the last century, moving from a hobby that some people managed to scrape a living out of to an economic powerhouse that employs large swathes of players, coaches, and administration staff, as well as journalists, pundits, TV presenters, oddsmakers, handicappers, talent managers, caretakers, and hospitality staff.
Much of this growth and change has been the result of technological advancements that have directly and indirectly revolutionized different elements of the sports that are played, managed, monetized, and consumed.
These technological advancements not only include TV broadcasts, but also online sports updates made in real time that we can check on the internet through our smartphones, and even high-speed cameras high-speed technology cameras designed for recording sports with high resolution and incredibly fast frame rates, which can be helpful in several sports scenarios like helping referees to make the correct call.
Television
TV began making its way into homes in the early 20th century, though it didn’t become mainstream for several more decades. When it did, leagues and teams began experimenting with broadcasting their games over the airways so that more fans could follow the action.
In doing so, leagues stumbled upon a huge new source of income that would completely revolutionize professional sports forever.
Very quickly, TV broadcasters discovered that sports programming attracted large audiences which, in turn, allowed them to sell more advertising. They were, therefore, very interested in buying the exclusive rights to as many as they could get their hands on.
This TV money helped to pay for higher player salaries, bigger coaching teams, larger stadiums.
But television has had many indirect effects on sports too. Modern pitches are pristine, with not a single blade of grass out of place. In the times before television, grass would often turn to mud very quickly during games, especially in sports like football and when it rained. Teams now employ entire teams of people whose job it is to keep their pitches looking perfect so that they look their best for TV.
The huge audiences that TV broadcasts attract also allows teams to command huge sums from advertisers and sponsors who pay to have their logos shown on player jerseys and around stadiums.
Smartphones
TV created ways for people to follow the action from their homes, but smartphones allowed them to do it from just about anywhere on the planet.
Sports fans are no longer tied to their televisions for an entire afternoon just because they want to watch a game. They can go to work, shopping, or out with friends and keep an eye on the action from there.
On top of that, smartphones have created new experiences for fans. Their little handheld computers work great as companions to a television, giving them access to more data about the game.
In addition to this, smartphones have made it much easier for sports fans to bet on their favorite players and teams. For example, someone watching a basketball game in which the LA Lakers put in a dominant performance might want to use their smartphone to check the latest NBA Championship odds to see how they have changed.
On top of this, most smartphone users have at least one social media app on their devices. Social networks like Twitter give fans the ability to ask questions of commentators and pundits while they watch coverage on TV as well as communicate with other fans.
High-Speed Cameras
High-speed cameras are used in many sports today to allow officials to make better decisions. Most use either the Sony Hawk-Eye system or one that uses a similar approach of connecting several high-speed cameras together to triangulate the position of players and balls.
One great example of an high-speed camera would be the 25 GigE Camera, for which its usage can be helpful in many different sports scenarios; from improving the fan experience to making the correct call with goal line technology, instant replays, digital umpire/referee, or detailed motion analysis, just to name a few.
It is used in tennis to help umpires make the right calls about whether a ball has gone out or not, while many top-flight and international football competitions now use it to verify whether a goal was actually scored or a foul was committed.
In the past, many referees have been criticized for making incorrect decisions after TV replays later reveal that what actually happened didn’t fit their call. These high-speed camera systems help to make games fairer by limiting the opportunity for refs to make the wrong decision.
However, the systems have had a wider impact on some sports. Some fans have criticized the way that this technology interrupts the flow of a game, creating an artificial pause while the videos are being reviewed.
On the other hand, the system does help to add an extra element of suspense.
