2015 has been a huge year for advancement in sport technology. And for sports fans, Thanksgiving 2015 provides the perfect opportunity to sit back and reflect on all of the many new technologies that are helping improve the games we love.
Here are just four examples to get the conversation started. This could be an enormous list of new technological innovations that are changing the sporting world and we’d love to hear what you would put on your list. Let us know on Twitter and have a happy Thanksgiving.
MLB StatCast
Arguably the coolest technology to hit fans this year was MLB’s introduction of StatCast, a radar and camera statistic tool. Essentially, after releasing the technology to the general public in July, the MLB were able to pioneer a number of new stats in the sport of baseball, such as the velocity of a hit or the exact distance of a runner’s lead off of base.
The MLB released the stats just in time for the All-Star Game this season, and carried it through the World Series.
Zebra Technologies’ RFID
Similar to MLB’s StatCast, the NFL created a whole new set of statistics for fans to consume this season, with the help of Zebra Technologies. The NFL installed radio-frequency identification chips in the shoulder pads of every player.
This allowed the NFL to track the speed and position of every single one of their players, letting NFL fans look at the distance their favorite player might cover in a game or which running back is actually the fastest.
Virtual Reality Ads
While consumers and fans generally despise ads, they are the inevitable business driver in sports. So why not embrace some innovation in the field?
This year marked the turning point for major companies using 360-degree technology in their advertisements. To name a few, Gatorade put out an ad giving the viewer Bryce Harper’s experience at the plate, Nike allowed you to step inside Neymar’s cleats, and Stella Artois created a bird’s eye view of Wimbledon.
This creative form of advertisement will optimistically be the future of sports marketing, as they are all incredibly cool. Watch all of those above—you won’t be disappointed.
One World Play Project
One World Play Project is the perfect way to cap off this list, connecting sport technology with those in the world that have little access to any technology. Five years ago, the company invented the One World Futbol, a ball that is durable enough to survive years of play in rough environments.
They created a “buy one, give one” system, and so far, more than a million balls have been donated. You can check out how to give on their website.