While sports and technology have been going hand-to-hand increasingly during the past 25 years, 2023 is the 12-month period that is expected to show major developments. One of these developments will also affect the online sports betting industry as well, since new names will emerge through launching of new establishments from companies that had nothing to do with the field in the past. For example, an e-commerce specialized company, Fanatics, is planning to launch a sportsbook. Such changes are bound to bring upsets, problems and benefits that will take a while to get accepted (or rejected).
The concept behind the endeavors that we will see, are supposed to greatly improve the business scope of the sector, resolve issues, take better advantage of what’s efficient and, of course, increase the revenues. Companies like Microsoft, Amazon and Google will come even deeper through cooperations with similar athletic enterprises, implementing technologies that up to now have been experimental. Only time will tell if the effort will be successful or not. Let’s discuss about the innovations to come.
Digital athletic venues
We have all seen in sci-fi movies some version of a futuristic stadium with automations and other tech gadgets making things easier for the spectators. Imagine an embedded screen in front of your seat allowing you to watch replays as many times as you want. Or being able to get an order of a sandwich and a glass of beer that you placed through your cellphone, delivered to you even through a completely filled to capacity stand section.
Stadiums are now being built (and some of the older ones are being upgraded) to include 5G technologies that will not need complicated or too sophisticated machineries pre-installed. Upgrades will include paying for tickets with cryptocurrency, entry checks through biometrics, and retail without the need for checkout. The concept is to revolutionize the experience inside the venues.
Virtual Reality
Imagine that you are in the stadium watching your favorite and you get goggles through which you can actually see what the quarterback, or the pitcher, or a goalkeeper sees in real time. With a full headset, you may even listen to the same sounds that they hear. Sony and HTC have already presented the solutions to be used for the experience.
However, the greatest obstacle here is the cost. The existing applications (in both software and hardware) rise the budget to levels that even the richest clubs could not afford. This will change if Apple finally releases their much-expected augmented reality technology that will reduce the amount of money needed, considerably.
Generative Articicial Intelligence
While AI algorithms have already found use in sports in everything from simple content creation to preventing injuries, they do so by analyzing already existing information in an attempt to detect issues, automate responses and suggest courses of action. Generative AI will take them to the next level through tools that can predict and respond to questions, create text and other multimedia according to specifications set by the spectators.
However, this specific technology comes with warnings of caution. It is a completely new package and some parts of it are still being worked over. Therefore, it is bound to have bugs that will be revealed through the usage. Critics of the technology pose ethical concerns about the ability to synthesize and present human vocal and visual interaction.
Multifunctional Platforms
This is not so much technological as it is financial. In the past things were clear. Each company specialized in a section of the industry and did not get involved in other sections. However, this will change with the emergence of sites that will attempt to cover more sections than one. DAZN for example will add betting capabilities to its services, will Apple has announced its cooperation with MLS adding applications for sports to its iPhones.
The point is that bookmakers will no longer be simple bookmakers, broadcasters will no longer be just broadcasters and publishers will no longer only publish. The multifunctional platforms will spread the services all along the sporting spectrum redefining the marketing pieces of the pie. And this may cause issues when companies that have been thriving in one sector, see their profits declining because another company from another sector marches in claiming a piece of those profits. It will be interesting to see how such issues will be resolved.
As expected, there were people embracing the new ideas and sceptics that criticized and rejected them right from the start. The ideas may be sound but it all depends on how they will be implemented and what unforeseen problems will rise and demand solutions. However, all of it will not change the essence of the main activity that they are supposed to improve. The sports themselves. And people do not want to see those changed. It’s the reason that they watch them and it is the reason that they register for betting accounts at the best betting platform.
