Method to the Madness: Using Technology to Enhance Your Big Dance Experience

While (hopefully) a good number of brackets are still giving fans hope, it only took until the second day of the tournament for all entries in Warren Buffet’s ‘Billion Dollar Bracket’ challenge to be eliminated. Mercer’s first round upset of Duke ruined all but .03 percent of the entries, according to CBSSports.com.

While entrants in the challenge are probably wishing that technology could have helped them pick the perfect bracket to win the challenge, a number of apps are keeping fans in the loop.

Countless sites have put together lists of must-have apps for both watching the games and scoreboards with the consensus being that the official NCAA March Madness Live app – which lets fans stream games on their mobile device provided they have a cable subscription – is one of the handiest companion apps.

Even if fans are parked in front of a big screen, chances are they’re checking their mobile devices, using them as a ‘second screen’ – a trend CEA examines in two separate studies from earlier this year. Follow the Eyes – The Second Screen and the Future of TV Viewing and its follow-up study, Second Screen – Creative Opportunity or Technological Imposition? Both reports are available free to CEA members at research.CE.org. Second screen viewing habits are also the focus of CEA Director of Industry Analysis Steve Koenig’s column from the March/April issue of i3, “The Rise of TV’s Second Screen.”

So, what effect is technology having on the court, field or in the arena? Men’s Journal recently published an article focusing on how University of Kentucky coach John Calipari utilizes heart rate monitors to measure exertion rates of players during practice. After Kentucky knocked out top-seeded Wichita State on Sunday, more schools could follow suit next year.

CEA has also promoted the benefits of wearable tech in sports. i3 recently interviewed MC10’s CEO David Icke, and discussed a number of the company’s wearable technologies; among them the Checklight skullcap developed in partnership with Reebok. The skullcap uses embedded sensors to detect the severity of a hit to the head during contact sports, hopefully minimizing the likelihood and effects of concussions.

So whether your bracket is already busted or your alma mater is projected to win the big dance, you can’t help but get sucked into what is arguably one of the most exciting times of the year in the sports world. As we get ready to watch the Sweet 16, be sure to keep in mind all of the ways that technology is impacting March Madness.

 This post originally appeared on CE.org.