Sports tech: Unleashing athletic performance and potential

• Author:
• Author name

  Quantumrun Foresight
• March 21, 2022

Insight summary

The sports technology sub-industry is transforming the world of sports by enhancing training for athletes and creating immersive experiences for fans. Utilizing digital tools like wearables, analytics, and virtual reality, the industry optimizes performance and recovery for athletes, while innovations in streaming and fan engagement enrich the viewing experience. With a global market that generated USD $90 billion in 2022 and a potential worth of over USD $30 billion by 2024, sports tech is poised to influence various sectors, including healthcare, education, and media.

Sports technology context

The sports tech sub-industry is a dynamic field that leverages digital advancements to enhance various aspects of sports. It includes technologies and services that make sports training more effective for athletes, utilizing tools like wearables, analytics, and virtual reality to optimize performance and recovery. Additionally, the sub-industry plays a crucial role in improving the hosting and broadcasting of sports events for the general public, employing innovations in streaming, fan engagement, and venue management to create immersive experiences.

Sports tech is an industry that consists of services that companies provide to sports fans, like the ability to stream/view sports from the leisure of their homes. It also consists of technologies that make sports more athlete-friendly. Radar guns used in tennis, virtual imaging systems that virtually superimpose lines on the swimmers' paths, novel heat, and compression sleeves for training recovery—these are just a few of the many sports technologies being used by athletes and coaches globally.

Overall, sports tech is a progressive industry that has integrated technological innovations both directly and indirectly developed for sport advancement. According to Drake Star Partners' Global Sports Tech Report 2022, the global sports technology market generated a disclosed deal value of USD $90 billion in 2022. Experts have suggested that this industry might steadily grow at a 17.5 percent compound annual growth rate (CAGR) and could potentially be worth over USD $30 billion by 2024. 

Disruptive impact

As sports tech innovations evolve, they may continually enable athletes and their coaches to adopt new training methods that optimize performance and recovery. The use of data analytics, virtual reality, and wearable devices can provide personalized insights into an athlete's physical condition, allowing for tailored training regimens. This trend can enhance productivity by reducing the risk of injuries and ensuring that athletes are training at their optimal levels. Governments and sports organizations can invest in these technologies to develop local talent and compete on the global stage, fostering a culture of excellence in sports.

Companies are also focusing on improving existing sports tech and introducing new technologies to enhance the experience of crowds in stadiums and viewers at home. The integration of augmented reality, real-time statistics, and interactive platforms can create immersive experiences for fans, both on-site and remotely. As COVID-19 restrictions start relaxing, creating a positive and safe environment for fans to enjoy their favorite sports will be highly desirable. Businesses that adapt to these trends may find new revenue streams and opportunities to engage with their audience, while governments can leverage these technologies to promote tourism and local economies.

The long-term impact of sports tech extends beyond athletes and fans, influencing various sectors including healthcare, education, and media. Schools and universities can incorporate sports tech into their curricula, promoting physical education and healthy lifestyles. Healthcare providers can utilize sports tech for rehabilitation and preventive care, offering solutions that are more engaging and effective. Media companies can explore new ways of storytelling and content delivery, capitalizing on the growing interest in sports and technology. 

Implications of of sports technology

Wider implications of sports technology may include:

• Rule changes to how certain sports are played or administered, along with the tactics used by coaches to achieve success with their teams. 


• More options for athletes to train effectively for current and upcoming sports seasons.  


• Newer and younger athletes from local teams being able to train at the same level as major athletes.


• Team management tracking their athletes' data more efficiently, which they could then use to strategize more effective training plans to improve their athletes’ performance at the individual level.


• The use of more advanced and interactive visual systems and platforms for use in the eSports industry. 


• A wider breadth of professionals from the STEM fields exploring job opportunities in the sports tech industry.

Questions to consider

• Do you think emerging sports training technologies have the potential to overpower the traditional training methods that have worked for decades?


• Which innovative technologies would you like to see better integrated with your preferred sport(s) and why?