Augmented reality (AR) is going to be a game-changer for many industries, but the technology lends itself especially well to the sports industry. We’ve already seen AR deployed in a number of innovative, forward-thinking ways, and there’s no doubt that the technology is going to play a significant role in shaping the experience of sports coaches, players, and particularly fans in the coming years.
Superba Titans and Sharks Collaboration
Sports stadiums are also using AR to enhance the fans’ game-day experience in other ways, too.
Superba created a Stadium AR app, which allows attendees to place interactive 3D content on the field and around the stadium.
The technology was first utilized by the Tennessee Titans, who made the application available on game day one of the 2023 season against the LA Chargers. The success of the launch caused the organization to retain the app for the rest of the season.
The San Jose Sharks soon followed, and since the application can be customized to each team’s colors, it’s likely that many sports teams across football, basketball, baseball, and hockey will follow.
Tactical Analysis
Elite sports are more competitive than ever, and anything that provides an advantage is highly welcomed by sports organizations. Teams are increasingly using augmented reality tools to come up with game-day strategies and to create mock-up opposition performances.
It’s become especially prevalent in cycling, where teams import historical data into AR scenarios to practice for races in difficult terrains.
Stadium Logistics
Anyone who’s been to a large sporting event knows how challenging it can be to find the ticket’s allocated seat. And it’s even more difficult to find a friend elsewhere in the stadium. Some stadiums have deployed AR technology into their game-day apps, allowing attendees to follow virtual arrows (which appear on their phones) directly to their seats.
If a friend is in another corner of the stadium, they can use the app to show the best and fastest route to their location.
Broadcasting Improvements
AR is playing an increasingly larger role in sports broadcasting, helping pundits to express their thoughts and impressions in more creative, direct ways, while at the same creating a more engaging viewing experience. For example, commentators on a football game can use 3D, AR overlays to discuss previous and possible plays, moving players into position with a stroke of their hand.
While plans are still in their infancy, some leagues, including the NHL and MLB, are exploring ways to put viewers in control of their viewing experience with the help of AR, including offering player tracking and live stats and details.
Sports Gaming
Sports organizations have been increasingly in the lucrative gaming market in recent years. AR has allowed for new and innovative gaming experiences. One such example can be found in the NBA app, which allows players to throw virtual basketballs at any real-world wall, which would feature an AR, NBA-branded hoop.
Augmented reality technology has also been used to promote sporting events; for example, in the lead-up to the boxing match between Tyson Fury and Detonay Wilder, a mini, mobile game was launched where players had to dodge punches from one of the heavyweights.
Clothing and Sports Retail
Sports organizations generate significant revenue from selling branded clothing — and AR is helping them increase their sales by making it easier for customers to virtually “wear” an item of clothing.
This has been deployed both online and in team stores, allowing customers a quick, efficient, and more engaging way to see how a potential purchase looks on them.
Sports organization’s team stores are often leading the way when it comes to the latest retail based technology, so don’t be surprised if there are more AR-based retail experiences in the coming years.
Athletic Training
There’s a lot of potential when it comes to augmented reality and sports training. Using headsets, athletes of all levels, including professional levels, can improve their performance. For example, in a tennis context, athletes can use AR to learn the correct technique for hitting tennis balls that have a certain amount of spin, angles, and other factors that may occur in a game setting, but which are difficult to recreate in training.
Data-driven AR is also helping professional athletes optimize their performance. For example, in soccer, AR can generate a wall to defend a free kick and then suggest the optimal type of kick for reaching the target.
Engaging Young Fans
Organizations of all sports are increasingly eager to reach young fans. AR is helping them to do that in ways that make sense to young people, who are more tech-minded than previous generations.
For example, sports teams are deploying AR to help young fans take photos with sports stars and trophies.
Access to Information
AR allows fans to access information and stats in interactive ways. For example, in a stadium environment, attendees could click on a player on the pitch and receive instant information about their all-important stats, including game stats that appear in real-time.
A few teams have already launched this experience, and it’s likely that, while it’s a fringe offering today, tomorrow it will become a mainstay of the game-day stadium experience.
Conclusion
As we’ve seen, augmented reality technology is already having an impact on the sports industry. And with the technology behind AR being improved all the time, it’s inevitable that we’ll see new and exciting ways to use AR in this sector.
If you have an AR concept that you’d like to bring to life, then don’t hesitate to get in touch with the team here at Superba. We create jaw-dropping augmented reality applications for a wide variety of uses and industries, including the sports industry; our Stadium AR application has been used by the Tennessee Titans and San Jose Sharks, with more on the way.
