Technology is changing rapidly, and it’s changing everything around us. It won’t be wrong to say that not many fields are left untouched by technology. Whether it’s sensors, gadgets, software, or applications, technological marvels are quite visible around us.
Sports technology is one facet of the advancements, and it’s been growing since 1908 when digital scoreboards were introduced. Now, such scoreboards are a norm, as technology has leaped to a whole different level.
In this article, we’re going to review how technology is changing the sports landscape. Without further ado, let’s get started.
Enhance Viewer’s Experience:
Not just soccer, baseball, or basketball, but all the major sporting events are televised around the world. As for the national or local competitions, they may also get a fair share of coverage.
From commentary, replays, real-time analytics, the crowd cheering, and more, anything you experience in a stadium is now accessible to people sitting on their couches.
Nowadays, sporting events are catered by large production teams. These production teams are assisted by a lot of HD cameras and equipment, helping them to live telecast the matches right to your TV screens.
One such example is ESPN, which you can easily find on many streaming platforms, including Xfinity TV. ESPN covers all the major sports. Besides this, ESPN 2 and ESPNEWS have also become fan favorites.
The ESPN app on Xfinity X1 TV Boxes and Flex streaming TV Boxes provides access to live and On Demand content from ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, ESPNews, ESPN Deportes, ESPNU, SECN, LHN, and SEC+ channels. If you’re missing out, reach out to Xfinity via Xfinity phone number or the website, choose the right plan, and watch every sport you follow, live and in HD.
Ensuring a Fair Game:
With time, sports viewership has grown exponentially. Well, with more eyes watching the sporting event, the people officiating the match automatically come under pressure. And under this pressure, they may make wrong decisions, capable enough to change the course of the whole game. However, to eliminate their difficulties, most sports have introduced AI-powered tools to help referees whenever they find themselves in a conundrum.
Take the example of Video Assistant Referee(VAR) and goal-line technology in soccer. In the olden days, most times, the offside call by the referee was always a controversial one. Plus, as the referee’s eyes were fixated on the players with the ball, it gave a free chance for other players to take advantage of the referee’s blind spot and make a foul.
However, with the introduction of VAR, even the slightest push can be caught. It allows referees to conduct a fair game of soccer.
The same goes for goal-line technology. Way back in the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Germany and England clashed in a must-win match for both teams. It was Frank Lampard’s shot that made it past the goal line. However, as the referee was unable to see it from a distance, the goal was disallowed and Germany won the match. Now, even if there’s an iota of doubt, the referee can easily consult people sitting with the match officials, with all the tech gadgets at their disposal.
Improved Training Facilities:
As technology has glided into sports, we’ve seen more and more world record-beaters in recent times. There’s no denying athlete’s hard work and determination, but technology also deserves a little credit.
In the past, athletes didn’t have access to training facilities that are available now. Also, back then, sportsmen were more injury-prone as compared to athletes in today’s time. So, what are the contributions of technology in all this?
There are numerous gadgets that may help sports professionals to train effectively. For example, smartwatches and band sensors are widely used by athletes. These gadgets inform the coaching staff about a player’s physical condition and monitor body vitals. Even if a player gets injured, gadgets may help them to train till they’re fully recovered.
Arguably, technology’s involvement has surely made sports more interesting. Besides making sports a household thing, technology is providing better training facilities to players. As a result, sports fans get to see competitive, intense, but fair matches in different sports.
