“Professional-grade data analysis tools used in top level sports will filter through to consumers keen to adopt a more granular approach to tracking and analysing performance. Additionally, technology will continue to boost the spectator experience, creating a hybrid way to watch by providing people with more data and interactive, personalised content.”
– Joe Birch, Consumer Technology Analyst
Key issues covered in this Report
- The impact of the cost-of-living crisis on sports participation and viewing.
- Competitive strategies of brands operating in sports markets and how technology can boost viewers and participants.
- Launch activity and innovation of brands operating within sports markets.
- Consumer activities undertaken at live sports events.
- How technology can enhance sports participation.
- Consumer attitudes towards sport viewing and participation and the role technology can play in these.
Collapse All
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Overview
- Key issues covered in this Report
- Products covered in this Report
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Executive Summary
- The five-year outlook for technology and sport
- Figure 1: Category outlook, 2023-27
- The market
- Consumer spending power will be curbed
- The pandemic has pushed people to prioritise their health more
- Figure 2: Attitudes towards health and wellness technology, 2022
- Companies and brands
- Six Nations rugby championship introduces new Smart Ball to aid analysis and in-game decision-making
- Sports brands look to the metaverse as a new frontier for engagement
- Streaming deals aim to boost niche sports’ reach
- Broadcasters trial new broadcasting innovations
- Masters golf rolls out in-game interviews on Twitter
- Automated video streaming and game analytics help boost amateur levels of performance
- The consumer
- Over one in five consumers watch live sport in-person
- Figure 3: Ways to watch sport, 2023
- Football still dominates as the nation’s favourite sport
- Figure 4: Methods to watch different sports, 2023
- Live sport is not a passive watching experience, so push personalised content to make consumers part of the action
- Figure 5: Activities undertaken at a sporting event, 2023
- Participation steady, but sports clubs will need to get creative to attract new entrants
- Figure 6: Sports participated in during last 12 months, 2022 and 2023
- Use data to give amateurs professional-level insights into their performance
- Figure 7: Attitudes towards sports participation, 2023
- Use technology to encourage spontaneous sports participation
- Figure 8: Attitudes towards sports participation, 2023
- Games in the metaverse could provide another income stream
- Figure 9: Attitudes towards sports participation, 2023
- The five-year outlook for technology and sport
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Issues and Insights
- Use technology to encourage spontaneous sporting activities
- Augmented reality can add new dimension to the live sport watching experience
- Harness AI to boost personalised activity plans
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Market Drivers
- Inflation will continue to eat into consumer spending power, but sports participation could be resilient to consumer cutbacks
- Figure 10: Priorities for leisure spending cutbacks, 2022
- Consumer spending power will be curbed
- Figure 11: Options for reducing spending on spectator sports, 2022
- Consumers are prioritising their health more following the pandemic
- Figure 12: Attitudes towards health and wellness technology, 2022
- AI will continue to change the way sport is officiated
- AI will also provide insights into game management
- Sports betting markets will offer more granular odds with the emergence of advanced analytics
- DAZN bids to broadcast EFL matches in prime Saturday afternoon slots
- Inflation will continue to eat into consumer spending power, but sports participation could be resilient to consumer cutbacks
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Launch Activity and Innovation
- Six Nations rugby championship introduces new Smart Ball to aid analysis and in-game decision-making
- Sports brands look to the metaverse as a new frontier for engagement
- AR and VR used for fan viewing experiences
- Manchester City sets sights on the metaverse
- Dubai hosts world’s first metaverse horse race
- Brands look to experiment with virtual reality fitness and coaching
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Competitive Strategies
- The Ocean Race and Warner Bros. Discovery team up in live coverage and distribution partnership
- Niche sports introduce streaming subscriptions
- Digital platforms boost interactivity during streams of games
- Sky Sports trials new broadcasting innovations
- Masters golf rolls out in-game interviews on Twitter
- Technology brings big game analytics to amateur sports
- Automated video streaming and game analytics help boost amateur levels of performance
- Professional-grade solutions aim to grow the amateur cricket game
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Sports Viewing
- Over one in five consumers watch live sport in-person
- Grass-roots sports can be the value proposition consumers are looking for
- Create inclusive digital messaging to attract a diverse crowd
- Create innovative ticketing opportunities to boost appeal
- Figure 13: Ways to watch sport, 2023
- Men still dominate the sport viewing landscape
- Boost the occasion to draw women into live sport action
- Promote the diversity in your brand by sponsoring women’s sports
- Figure 14: Ways to watch sport, by gender, 2023
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Sports Watched
- Live sport is crucial content for TV providers
- Figure 15: Methods to watch different sports, 2023
- Livestreaming can boost engagement with minority sports
- Bitesize content can boost a sport’s reach
- Consumers’ appetite for a variety of live sports suggests an aggregator can appeal
- Figure 16: Repertoire of sports watched live on TV or online, in past 12 months, 2023
- Live sport is crucial content for TV providers
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Cricket Viewing
- Nearly two thirds of cricket watchers watch cricket via Freeview
- Figure 17: Use of Freeview to watch cricket in last 12 months, 2023
- Cricket can boost its overall audience with more accessible content
- Streaming and bitesize content can help boost cricket’s appeal
- Figure 18: Interest in watching cricket content on Freeview, 2023
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- Figure 19: Technology and Sport – CHAID – Tree output, 2023
- Nearly two thirds of cricket watchers watch cricket via Freeview
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Activities Undertaken at Live Sporting Events
- Live sport is not a passive watching experience, so push personalised content to make consumers part of the action
- Figure 20: Activities undertaken at a sporting event, 2023
- Stadiums should target older age groups with to-seat ordering
- Sports brands should offer more in-depth statistics for those attending games
- Figure 21: Activities undertaken at a sporting event, by generation, 2023
- Live sport is not a passive watching experience, so push personalised content to make consumers part of the action
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Sports Participation
- Participation steady, but sports clubs will need to get creative to attract new entrants
- Focus on the social aspect of sports participation as well as fitness
- Figure 22: Sports participated in during last 12 months, 2022 and 2023
- Create more ways for women to engage with team sports
- Figure 23: Sports participation, NET, 2022 and 2023
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- Figure 24: Sports participation, by age and gender, 2023
- Create multi-club memberships or interaction opportunities for serious sports enthusiasts
- Figure 25: Repertoire analysis of sports played, by age and gender, 2023
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Attitudes towards Technology in Sports Participation
- Brands have to provide more proof of standards and accuracy to win over sceptics of fitness tracking capabilities
- Figure 26: Attitudes towards sports participation, 2023
- Use data to give amateurs professional-level insights into their performance
- Those who play team sports are interested in tracking more advanced aspects of their performance
- Artificial intelligence can have a sizeable impact on personalised sports data
- Figure 27: Attitudes towards sports participation, 2023
- Tap into the on-demand culture to boost sports participation
- Brands have to provide more proof of standards and accuracy to win over sceptics of fitness tracking capabilities
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Attitudes towards Technology in Sport Viewing
- Virtual stadiums offer potential new income stream
- Figure 28: Attitudes towards sports participation, 2023
- Unleash the machines to feed consumers’ need for speed
- Virtual stadiums offer potential new income stream
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Appendix – Data Sources, Abbreviations and Supporting Information
- CHAID analysis – Technology and Sport – April 2023
- Methodology
- Abbreviations
- Consumer research methodology
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