SPORTACCORD 2024 INSIGHTS: Major Technology Trends Shaping Sports Sector

Professor Andy Miah, widely recognised for his captivating presentations, brought today’s and tomorrow’s technology potential – and the challenges this can pose for the most fleet footed of sports organisations – to the centre stage at SportAccord 2024.

In front of an audience eager for knowledge, the Chair in Science Comms and Future Media of the University of Salford in Manchester showcased some of the hottest technology trends  “which are reshaping sectors almost monthly”. He highlighted the rise of AI generated content, its enormous popularity with young people and encouraged the delegates coming from traditional sports to learn from success stories in the e-sports industry. (Watch on YouTube) 

Following a 20-year-rise of user-generated content it is now the era for AI-generated content, explained Miah. “Being present with these platforms, but also seeing how technologies allow us to reimagine the sport is really interesting,” he said, emphasising the huge potential of using new technologies, including AI, to engage with young audiences who largely don’t tune in to watch traditional sports. “Let’s think of how to make the audience experience more compelling, exciting and immersive.”

Andy Miah ©️Getty Images

Fusing real and virtual worlds – the way forward

Andy Miah explained how young people are attracted by fusing the real and virtual worlds together. New technologies provide seamless capabilities to simulate events in real time, create digital twins modelling physical environments and integrate fantasy aspects like avatars and artefacts.

His advice to sport organisations: “A lot of time spent by young people in these worlds operates in a fantasy environment. So if you can access that space and bring your activities into these worlds, you are engaging that passion for fantasy.”

He showcased best practice from esports, successfully integrating digital artefacts with physical performances on stage and encouraged sports organisations to ask themselves some thought-provoking questions: “Where do you provide these opportunities for young people to engage beyond your major events?” and “How does sport reimagine its narrative by looking towards a range of these other entertainment industries that are operating around it?”

“Generation AI” – new frontier

Miah said there is huge potential for sport organisations to create an attachment with “Generation AI” by engaging with young people on their favourite platforms and empowering them to create their own content, for example by using creative AI linked to a sport and as part of a day-to-day experience. “If we find ways to do that effectively then I think we can safeguard the future of sports, but also keep evolving and innovating in that world.”

 (Watch on YouTube for SportAccord's interview with Miah) 

The subsequent panel discussion featured world-class expertise from David Fowler – Co-Founder of Sports Tech Match, Beth Johnson – Managing Director of Umbrella and Sulabh Soral – Head of AI at Deloitte UK, providing different perspectives on major technology trends shaping the sports sector.

Stay tuned for more exclusive insights from SportAccord 2024, coming your way over the next few weeks. The series reveals parts of some of the most exciting discussions from Birmingham, centred around the horizontal theme “The Power of Sport”.

Partners

The SportAccord World Sport & Business Summit 2024 is supported by a number of strong partners and suppliers:

Gold Partner: Sport Event Denmark

Silver Partners: EventScotland, Explore Edmonton, Tourism & Events Queensland

Bronze Partner: Sport Liverpool , Sports Authority Thailand

Official Suppliers: DB Schenker, Wiz-Team

About SportAccord World Sport & Business Summit 

The SportAccord World Sport & Business Summit brings together around 1,500 leaders and key decision makers from over 120 International Federations (IFs), the International Olympic Committee, and organisations involved in the business of sport. 

The Summit provides an unrivalled platform enabling global business leaders and host cities to have access to all the International Federations and their stakeholders in one location over several days. 

This unique event is a combination of official sports meetings, networking gatherings, a themed conference programme, and exhibition space enabling International Federations, industry, cities and regions to showcase and advance their sport, services and facilities. 

About SPORTACCORD

SportAccord is a sports event organisation based in the Olympic Capital, Lausanne, Switzerland, and governed by stakeholders representing the Olympic and non-Olympic International Federations.  

It brings together International Federations and organisations involved in the business of sport with the aim to serve, promote and protect the common interests of its stakeholders, help them achieve their global objectives and facilitate knowledge-sharing.

SportAccord’s stakeholders include:

ASOIF (Association of Summer Olympic International Federations)

WOF (Winter Olympic Federations)

ARISF (Association of IOC Recognised International Sports Federations)

AIMS (Alliance of Independent Recognised Members of Sport)

Visit SportAccord.sport for more information.

About Yutang Sports

As one of SportAccord's Principal Media Partners, Yutang Sports is a Chinese leading sports marketing and media platform, with an ultimate mission to connect China and world through sports. After years of growing, Yutang Sports, with a comprehensive media and marketing promotion system, is now dedicating to reporting sports business and marketing trends, providing sports business news, analysis, and exclusive data reports in both Chinese and English. Having been cooperated with top-level domestic and international sports summits, Yutang Sports is opening a window for Chinese sports industry to embrace the world.