Luckily, new technology is ripe for the picking and ready to provide savvy sports businesses with new digital and hybrid avenues for revenues and fan engagement.
AI and Machine Learning, in combination with Interactive TV standards (HbbTV in Europe, ATSC3 in the US) are ready to yield results, especially by providing new levels of personalisation about viewers and fans to be used in revenue generation. The accurate analysis of fan data, drawn from their interactions with different accounts on their connected TV and other devices, even those used while in the stadium, is enabling tailoring of content and advertising that is incredibly accurate.
In addition to this, IoT and near-real-time data analysis and prediction capabilities on sporting action provide fans with insight they never had before and enable them to identify the fastest driver, check whether there really was a foul from different camera angulations and understand how weather conditions or physical performance of single players is impacting the game. Embedded sensors in an athlete’s clothing or equipment can in fact transmit performance, player efficiency and opponent weakness data to viewers and coaches but can also be used to drive engagement and proximity marketing opportunities.
Another important element in the race to make sports even more omnichannel and connected is the use of AR/VR. In fact, reports suggest that traditional, physical sports venues will also be expanding their engagement techniques to other platforms. 5G roll out will also play a key role in providing the sports market with low-latency high volume networks, driving 5G-enabled edge computing as well as AR/VR and OTT opportunities.
Traditional, physical sports venues will also be able to expand their engagement techniques to other platforms and will be equipping themselves for eSport and virtual reality experiences once fans are able to go back to filling stadiums around the world.
What is the Flame Project?
The FLAME project, which received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 731677, for example, works with broadcast, gaming and transmedia vertical markets developing a platform to create applications that bring value to the many sectors dependent on effective production and distribution of media content including sports clubs of all sizes.
As user media fruition is becoming more and more integrated, sports content owners will be looking to deliver their content at live events with the help of 5G technology as soon this is possible again. The FC5 Live app, developed on the FLAME platform, is expected to have a great market potential both on “premium” clubs and on minor sports, thus contributing to the development of small clubs, and opening the opportunity to integrate with a range of added value services from third-parties. It was successfully trialled in Barcelona this June.
Finally, it is clear that the personalisation potential about to be unleashed by combining AI, VR/AR and IoT technologies with interactive TV standards is beginning to yield the first exciting results uniting digital and traditional physical sports experiences. This in turn provides physical venues and sports clubs with never-before opportunities to engage with fans and make new advertising and marketing deals.