Current Trends in Sport Management and Entertainment
There has been a significant decline in traditional sports across all categories as the current generation increasingly sees a ride in virtual reality and a lack of interest in traditional sports (GenZ). The current generation is increasingly shifting from traditional sports to a more convenient option of virtually enjoying games. The increase in technology adaptation worldwide exacerbates virtual sports ranging from virtual games to e-sports and their existence (Laghari et al., 2021). Furthermore, the recent lockdowns and restriction of movement to mitigate the effects of the recent global pandemic accelerated the growth of virtual games and e-sports. As a result, traditional sports and games now face the danger of not regaining their lost traction. Additionally, current and advanced technologies such as virtual reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) are current trends that are completely changing the sports industry (Sawan et al., 2020). While traditional games still command the largest population of sports lovers, virtual sports and e-games attract many people, especially the GenZ population, because of their convenience.
Virtual Games and E-sports in the Sports Industry
The phenomenon created by virtual games and e-sports is a trend in sports currently because it is used across the industry. In other words, it is readily apparent that AR and VR are taking over the sports industry (Hindin et al., 2020). For example, a virtual reality build for athletes is already established in the industry. VR companies are creating immersive training programs to engage athletes in training sessions and are now collaborating with the biggest names in football, including Arsenal. Virtual games and e-sports enhance athletes’ knowledge and create a platform that allows experience match scenarios while training (Laghari et al., 2021). VR technology is also used in various sports, including Formula 1, skiing, and baseball. Additionally, augmented reality is used to officiate sports and help sports officials and referees. In tennis, Hawk-Eye is used to track the tennis ball and overlay the ball’s trajectory on the court (Lim et al., 2021). Since 2001, tennis ball sports have been experiencing the use of this technology in officiating matches. Additionally, Video Assistant Referee (VAR) is used in soccer to assist match officials in officiating matches.
The digital transformations and changes brought by AR and VR in the sports industry are significantly positive for marketers, athletes, and fans. AR and VR application in the sports industry has brought a more realistic and enriching experience. For example, AR has enabled the sports industry to provide viewers of sports with interactive graphics in the video, which was traditionally commonplace in sports broadcasters. In other words, the technology adds value to sports by providing meaningful and precise information such as missed reality presentations, immersive graphics, and virtual 3D scenarios (Carlos et al., 2019). Similarly, virtual reality plays a handy role in improving matches and ensuring they are fairer. For example, the use of Hawk-Eye in tennis, rugby, volleyball, badminton, and VAR in soccer provides a three-dimensional representation of the ball movement on the pitch hence fairer outcomes than traditional matches (Carlos et al., 2019).
Current Impact of VR and AR on Sports Industry
The current breakthroughs in sports come in the form of augmented reality and virtual reality. Besides adding excitement to sports, the two technologies have brought innovative ways significantly impacting sports. VR has helped improve the way matches and sports games are broadcasted. People are shifting from television screens to VR-enabled sports watches in the modern world as they are more attractive. NextVR uses 360-degree video cameras to provide football, NBA, Wimbledon, and NFL audiences with an immersive experience. Secondly, VR and AR are used for playing sports (Lim et al., 2021). Apart from watching sports utilizing technology, some platforms make viewers become players and immerse themselves in virtual games and sports. Some AR and VR platforms are built for gaming, such as VR play stations, Oculus Rift, and HTC Vive. These technological platforms allow people to play virtual games within the confines of their homes.
Additionally, coaches use virtual reality to train athletes and sports teams. VR forms a vital training technique that helps athletes understand and capture players’ movement and motion as much as possible (Carlos et al., 2019). The latest teams to adopt VR training include Arsenal and some NBA and NFL teams, which use it to train the mind of players without the strain of their bodies. Furthermore, these technologies form a platform to fight against racism and gender issues in sports. For example, VAR has heightened levels and calls to address racism in soccer, a vice that has taken center stage globally. In the 2022 World, the usage of VAR was seen as a technology that can help the world governing body FIFA to tackle racism in the sport (Lim et al., 2021). Additionally, the President of the Italian Football Federation suggests the usage of VAR technology to help authorities pinpoint the offenders of racism and monitor players and stands during matches.
Projected Influence of VR and AR in the Sports Industry
The use of VR and AR in the sports industry is projected to improve the performance of athletes. In other words, athletes are bound to benefit a lot from the use of virtual reality and augmented reality in the sports industry. The technologies will be leveraged to ensure that athletes train more effectively, improve their technical skills, and even avoid injuries during games (Yung & Khoo-Lattimore, 2019). In addition, VR technology is projected to help players prepare even in bad weather and achieve better results. Additionally, AR will provide trainers and coaches to attain excellent training and coaching levels. Coaches will get a platform to train athletes from anywhere in the world. With the assistance of the 5G-Internetet allowing faster data streaming, coaches and trainers can train players in real time and receive feedback from them (Lim et al., 2021). Lastly, VR and AR will improve sports participation through gamification. Since the current GenZ like virtual games and is more attracted to e-sports, the technologies will encourage them to participate in sports more often.
Capitalizing and Adapting to VR and AR
Fans, consumers, organizations, leagues, and industry leaders currently or planning to adopt to the VR and AR trend in sports by ensuring that they stop or avoid racist confrontation in stands. The usage of VAR is seen as a technology that can help the world governing body, FIFA, to tackle racism in the sport (Laghari et al., 2021). Additionally, the President of the Italian Football Federation suggests the usage of VAR technology to help authorities pinpoint the offenders of racism and monitor players and stands during matches. Industry leaders such as big soccer clubs and football governing body are preparing to use the technologies to improve sports for better (Sawan et al., 2020). VR companies are creating immersive training programs to engage athletes in training sessions and are now collaborating with the biggest names in football, including Arsenal. Virtual games and e-sports enhance athletes’ knowledge and create a platform that allows experience match scenarios while training.
Personal Impacts of Engagement with Sports
Use of virtual reality and augmented reality sports has significantly impacted my engagement with sports. Being a soccer and NBA fan, the two realities have changed my engagement as it has improved the outcomes of games. For example, I believe that Hawk-Eye helped me track the tennis ball and overlay the ball’s trajectory on the court even when I was not attentive when players were playing. Since I started watching tennis ball five years ago, I have been experiencing the use of this technology in officiating matches, which satisfies me with the outcome of games. Additionally, my experience as a video assistant referee (VAR) in soccer has been positive, especially when it is used to review goals and offside and how it is useful in assisting match officials in officiating matches.
References
Carlos, L. P., Ezequiel, R., & Anton, K. (2019). How does Video Assistant Referee (VAR) modify the game in elite soccer? International Journal of Performance Analysis in Sport, 19(4), 646-653. https://doi.org/10.1080/24748668.2019.1646521
Hindin, J., Hawzen, M., Xue, H., Pu, H., & Newman, J. (2020). E-sports. In Routledge Handbook of global sport (pp. 405-415). Routledge.
Laghari, A. A., Jumani, A. K., Kumar, K., & Chhajro, M. A. (2021). Systematic Analysis of Virtual Reality & Augmented Reality. International Journal of Information Engineering & Electronic Business, 13(1).
Lim, S. G., Jung, S. H., & Huh, J. H. (2021, June). Visual algorithm of VR e-sports for online health care. In Healthcare (Vol. 9, No. 7, p. 824). MDPI.
Sawan, N., Eltweri, A., De Lucia, C., Pio Leonardo Cavaliere, L., Faccia, A., & Roxana Moşteanu, N. (2020, December). Mixed and augmented reality applications in the sports industry. In 2020 2nd International Conference on E-Business and E-commerce Engineering (pp. 55-59). https://doi.org/10.1145/3446922.3446932
Yung, R., & Khoo-Lattimore, C. (2019). New realities: a systematic literature review on virtual reality and augmented reality in tourism research. Current issues in tourism, 22(17), 2056-2081. https://doi.org/10.1080/13683500.2017.1417359
write