It may not seem like it, but the world of sports has gone through dramatic changes to become the multibillion-dollar industry that it is today. These changes will continue, and sports will be very different from it is today in just ten years.
There are many reasons why this is the case, and it has to do with changing technology, changing demographics, finance sectors and changing politics all over the world. In this article, we’ll explore how sports will look in ten years based on the trends that are observable now.
It Will Change
The first thing to get out of the way is that the changes we mention are not inevitable, but they are very likely. In the last couple of years, technologies that have been a part of science fiction have become a reality. This includes cryptocurrencies, augmented and virtual reality, and artificial intelligence.
There’s also a change in who’s driving the global sports markets. Rich states of the Arabian Peninsula and China have hosted some of the biggest sports events in the last couple of years, and this new and large middle class interested in sports in every way possible will play a big role in how they are shaped in the future.
New Media Landscape
The new media landscape following sports is already in turmoil, and it will continue to be so in the years to come. This is part of a more extensive process where the traditional media is dying out and withdrawing, leaving room for new and more communal media.
Social media and citizen journalism are a part of this, but new media formats may also emerge. The biggest draw of this approach to media is authenticity, which comes from user-generated content rather than content that is professionally produced.
Gamification
Gamification in sports betting involves integrating elements of game design, such as rewards, challenges, and achievements, to enhance the user experience. It’s already happening for many sports events, and the process includes features like leaderboards, badges for successful predictions, and interactive betting formats.
Gamification can also play a big role in increasing the pool of players and getting a younger demographic interested in following and betting on sports. It can be a bridge between playing video games and playing video games, both of which are very popular with younger players.
The Use of Cryptocurrencies
Cryptocurrencies are already widely used in the world of sports betting. There are many reasons why this is the case. It’s a vast market with a lot of sports betting sites to choose from this link. Using cryptocurrencies also allows users to make fast and safe transactions without having to provide a bank account or any other personal data.
Cryptocurrencies also allow sports betting based on blockchain technology. The terms of the bets are written into the blockchain code, and the payment is executed as soon as those terms are met. It’s a way for players to be sure that their wagers are secured.
Sustainability in Sports
Another important change that will come to the world of sports in the coming years is the increased focus on sustainability. Ecology and care for the environment are probably the most important societal and scientific topics of our age, and they will affect every facet of society, sports included.
The goal of any sports event will be to become carbon neutral, meaning that it will not add to carbon emissions. New stadiums will have to be fully recyclable, waste should be recycled, and new ways to generate their own energy and water usage must be found.
Immersive Experience
Stadiums will change in terms of the experience that they offer. They will no longer be just a place to watch the game but a home to a whole and immersive experience for the spectators. Virtual and augmented reality will play a big role in this experience as it will be widely used in the years to come.
Augmented reality was already used in a similar fashion during the World Cup. The spectators were able to watch the game through the lenses of a camera on their phones, and the statistics about the game and the players were displayed in real-time.
eSports and Going Mainstream
eSports have been on the rise since the Covid-19 pandemic. Games have existed for longer than that, but during the pandemic, there were no other sports to bet on, and that’s why the general public took an interest in them. Over the last couple of years, eSports teams have become more professional, better funded, and have more fans.
There’s already an eSports World Cup in the works, but many believe that in the years to come, eSports will become a part of the Olympic Games as they get more popular.
Contracts in Favor of the Athletes
At this point, athletes are basically businesses of their own, with a complex team of managers, agencies, couches, and PR teams behind them. This has been the case for the past 50 years, with athletes often getting short straws in the arrangement.
In the future, this balance will move further in favor of the athletes because there’s more of a connection between the players and the general public. The players are also getting much more business-savvy and able to demand more powerful and operational freedom for themselves.
Better Performance Altogether
The general public has already noticed the stark contrast in player’s performance compared to how they used to be just 30 years ago. Watching athletes perform on old videos shows that contemporary athletes are more agile, faster, and stronger in almost every sport. This trend will continue in the years to come and become more pronounced.
With the use of biomedical science, neuroscience, and other tech developments, this process will be increased and amplified, and the performance will continue to increase. Some of the established rules when it comes to leagues and international competitions will also ease to accommodate this change.
Women’s Sports and Transgender Issues
Women’s sports will increase in popularity and get more institutional support from sponsors. This is already happening, and it will continue to occur in the years to come. There’s a fan base for these sports, and that’s the most important thing it needs to have to get more commercialized and, therefore, better funded.
Transgender issues have been controversial in the last couple of years, as transgender athletes can bring an unfair advantage to the teams they play for. It’s safe to say that in ten years, we’ll resolve the problem by establishing transgender leagues and becoming more tolerant.
Conclusion
Sports have gone through a lot of changes over the centuries, and they’ll continue to go through them in the years to come. Some of these changes will come as a result of tech advances and others as societal changes that have a deeper meaning and roots.
Sports venues will also change, as well as the ways fans can follow the games and place wagers. These have already started to happen as the technology needed for it is already here, and they’ll soon be widely used. It will be an interesting site to behold as innovation is coming for leagues, fans, and athletes alike.
