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Technology has impacted every moment and movement of our life, from ordering dinner using your smartphone to booking tickets to the cinema and even using Bitcoin betting apps to wager on your favourite sports. You can’t progress today without making full use of technology, including the latest mobile devices, cryptocurrencies and e-wallets. The one dependable thing about technology is it will continue to thrive and progress at an alarming rate. If you are a lover of football, soccer or tennis and you are waiting for your sport to return to a more traditional way of doing things, you may as well get comfortable. That isn’t going to happen anytime soon.
From how we pay for our matchday tickets to how we communicate with our favourite teams and players, it has all changed. Even the way matches are officiated and the rules checked has been impacted by the newest and most trusted technology. Today, referees and umpires receive more help from the sidelines than ever before. Whether you are a fan of using tech to assist the officials or not, this trend won’t be changing. Technology is here to stay and it’s best to embrace those changes.
This article aims to help you do just that. The information included in this article explains the five ways technology has changed how we enjoy sports and how you can get the most out of the situation. Let’s get started.
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Buying tickets
There’s now no need to visit the stadium to purchase your tickets, either in advance or on the day of the match. Popularity and increased measures around crowd safety mean it’s now almost impossible to enjoy the practice of paying at the gate, something that hasn’t been seen at the top level of professional sports for a generation.
You can now purchase your tickets online using a debit card, e-wallet or accepted crypto like Bitcoin. The transfer of cash is instant and you will then receive a QR code by email that will serve as your ticket or the paper ticket can be posted to your home address.
Referee assistance
In a soccer match, there is now a referee, two assistants – previously known as linesmen – and a fourth official who is positioned near the coaches. You would think that would be more than enough eyes on the play to help get the big decisions right, but technology has been brought in to help achieve that.
The most controversial piece of tech used in soccer today is Video Assistant Referee which is also known as VAR. This involves a team of experts who watch the match in the VAR studio and relay their findings to the referee.
Watching matches
You can still watch matches from the stadium but improvements in technology that were rushed through during the pandemic mean you no longer have to be physically present at the stadium. You can watch on television or through the latest live streaming apps.
Most major sports clubs now have their own TV station, either available on television or online and there you can enjoy coverage of the match. There will be professional camera angles. Commentary, live scores, stats, updated league standings and more.
Communication
Social media is the quickest and best way to communicate with your club or favourite player. You can use the likes of Twitter, Instagram and Facebook to congratulate your favourite side on an important win, enquire about tickets or upcoming fixtures, make requests like to display a message at half-time and more.
Communication with your club is always just a click away. You will find that most teams and players are active on social media and understand the importance of communicating with their fans and building close ties.
Merchandise
Want to purchase official merchandise so you know the cash is going directly to the club and you aren’t being ripped off for price? You can achieve this by buying directly from the club’s website. That can be achieved by visiting the website or app on your smartphone or home computer and it takes a few seconds to set up.
Your transactions and purchases will be paid for by debit card, e-wallet or crypto with the items posted directly to your home address, usually with next day delivery.