The sports industry, like every other industry, is dominated by a hoard of trends every year. While some trends stand the test of time, others perish and make way for new ones.
Sports of any kind play an integral role in building the personality of individuals. That is why schools, colleges, and universities are built around their sports cultures and encourage their students to participate in sports.
They keep upgrading the kind of sports they offer and even provide students with scholarships based on their performance in the different types of sports.
This attention to sports has also led to a change in the definition of what classifies as sports. It might pique your interest to learn that Quidditch is also being played on campuses and taken quite seriously these days.
That said, as we look forward to 2021, let us talk about a few trends that shall inundate the domain of sports (especially high school and college sports) and change the face of the industry.
5G and Cloud Computing Shall Open Up New Avenues:
Cloud computing and 5G technology are not just restricted for use in organizations and multinational corporations. These are some brilliant innovations of technology that also find their use in the domain of sports. Studies have indicated that about 74 percent of mobile traffic will be generated via video by 2024. Therefore, the complete integration of 5G services is underway. These 5G services are expected to be the gamechanger in the sports industry.
With a myriad of 5G wireless technology being rolled out this year, fans shall no longer have to wait to catch their favorite teams and players live in action. 5G services shall reduce latency for fans, and they can catch all the sporting action, live from home and in stadiums, at lightning speed.
Esports Shall Still Be On the Rise:
The second trend in the sports industry that has been around for quite some time and shall continue to be so in 2021 is the evolution of esports. It has been studied that about 40 per cent of gamers watch esports and even love betting on them, as much as they love indulging in the game of craps. Plus, the esports market is also expected to generate over $1.5 billion in revenue annually.
The market has exploded, particularly in the HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges & Universities) community and the popularity for the sport has grown among African-Americans.
READ MORE: CIAA Partners With Cxmmunity to Spearhead HBCU Esports Initiatives, Increase Minority Gamers
Keeping in tandem with these studies, it is expected that 2021 shall be the year when traditional sporting franchises join hands with their esports counterparts and deliver a wholesome fan experience. Esports shall draw the attention of investors and advertisers across several different platforms and also use analytics and RPA to deliver a seamless experience.
Technology Shall Have a Significant Impact on High School Sports:
It is expected that in 2021 and moving forward, high school sports shall be dominated by various technological innovations. Coaches will no longer rely solely on their judgment to train student-athletes or strategize in games.
Technology using Artificial Intelligence shall help them better understand athletes’ strengths and weaknesses and aid them in training them based on that information.
Coaches have used video as a tool of training and recruiting for decades now, but new technology will help coaches push the envelope in training, coaching and performance.
Technology shall help schools and colleges scout more talented players to play for their leagues by reviewing their highlights as quickly and as seamlessly as possible.
Technology Shall Help Everyone Get a Great Streaming Experience:
Cable has been covering and broadcasting sports leagues and championships in all their glory. However, we now have a plethora of choices in streaming our favorite sports with the onset of technological mushrooming around us.
Cable has fallen short in a number of instances and has not been great at delivering high-quality details of the broadcast. However, with multiple devices at our disposal and a number of options in streaming our favorite sports, this issue has been mitigated.
This trend shall evolve over 2021, and people immerse themselves in the streaming experience. Innovations like automated cameras shall be able to provide multiple views of the sporting events and broadcast every detail of the game. There shall be more ease in instant replays of the games, and fans shall also be able to enjoy better and enhanced graphics.
In a Nutshell:
These are some of the trends that we can expect to witness in 2021 in the ever-evolving sports domain. As the days bleed into years, the sports industry shall only pave the way for more technological innovations and integration of the same.
All we need to do now is wait to see how these trends pan out and be on the lookout for a few other trends that might possibly inundate the sector. These trends shall not only impact high school and college sports but also change the face of professional sporting events for the better.
