Few advances have had the impact on sports that digital technology has brought. There are almost unlimited capabilities possible through digital applications, with only market demand driving what is introduced. Digital technology is able to provide an array of enhancements to all athletic competitions that lead to more fan engagement and, in turn, improved sports gambling options. Adam Bjorn is a gaming industry executive and lifelong sports enthusiast, and shares how digital technology is changing the sports environment.
Computers have been used in sports for decades, but the introduction of mobile devices, which only happened recently, has facilitated many changes. Now, there is greater market demand for enhanced interaction as sports fans are able to access games from virtually anywhere at any time, and this is helping bring about new and creative solutions that are driving a superior experience. Mobile use isn’t the only aspect that is causing a shift in sports interactions, though.
Today, Internet and computer speeds are blazingly fast, which has allowed sports technology to evolve just as quickly. Never before was it possible, or viable, to introduce real-time, in-game solutions where fans could follow athletes’ performance as it happens, or track the speed and trajectories of footballs, soccer balls, hockey pucks and more.
These developments are fairly new, as well, which means there is still a lot of room to make them even better.
Asserts Bjorn, “The ability to watch multiple Sports and matches simultaneously from all corners of the globe on handheld devices is just an extraordinary experience from how I started out. Add-on the leaps and bounds that betting on these same events has come in that same time. This has added enormous amounts of dollar value to the worlds sporting leagues, due to the TV and streaming deals that have taken place the past decade and will only increase going forth.”
Sports associations need to deliberately use digital media to construct direct associations with fans. One route is to cooperate with broadcasters to dominate content across different stations, which likewise takes into account an abundance of continuous advertising possibilities. Eventually, advanced enhancement of substance across platforms will help widen content reach for sports associations.
Fans are connecting with media like never before; audio, TV viewership, and application use have expanded across the board. Couple this with the way that avid supporters are progressively responsive to customized commitment, and in that lies a universe of possibility. Directed ads are twice as compelling as non-focused advertisements: 60% of recent college grads would eagerly share their information for coupons or advancements, and 71% of shoppers would prefer to see promotions zeroed in on their own tastes.
Broadcasters and associations are utilizing Augmented and Virtual Reality (AR and VR) advancements to cause fans to feel like they’re at the game, while web-based media is assisting with empowering direct contact among clubs and competitors, hardening connections. Research shows that such fans are bound to buy products of a TV membership, which creates an additional revenue stream.
Broadcasters and sports organizations are utilizing statistics databases to give experiences to fans to make significantly more profound connections by expanding their insight into and interest in the game. The Internet of Things (IoT) is engaging this pattern through intelligent athletic gear, athlete tracking and more. The more information that is accessible, the more important the knowledge that can be introduced.
Digital technology implies digital analytics, which is considered a superior understanding of what energizes fans, giving supporters knowledge into what sorts of promotions and commitment models work for the fans. Advanced devices can likewise furnish sponsors with more data about fans so they can tailor the circumstance, substance and delivery of the intended message so that it becomes more effective and leads to greater conversions.
There are many ways that digital technology is helping to shape the sports world in order to increase fan engagement and improve the customer experience. This year has seen substantial growth in the field and the trend is expected to gain more ground over the next couple of years.
