As a young baseball player, you’re struggling to find comfort in tracking curveballs. They’re plaguing you every time you’re at bat. You need to practice your swing often, but you’re at the mercy of trying to schedule time with trainers. Thanks to innovative sports companies like EON Sports, you can use virtual reality technology to take as many swings as you want against a virtual pitcher.
Technology is changing the sports industry in several dynamic, exciting ways. The experience of the fan, the athlete, and the professionals in sports will never be the same.
Let’s take a look at some of the coolest sports companies and how they are changing the game:
ClutchPoints
Started by avid basketball fan Nish Patel, ClutchPoints is a live social streaming platform forever changing how we watch and engage in live sports games. As Patel says during a recent interview with Inc., it’s “not just a live stream; it is a live social stream. Through curated content, users are able to stay updated on the sporting events they care about.”
This app allows you to follow every game in real-time. Its algorithm curates relevant interactions from the game through media like Twitter and Facebook. In other words, users aren’t turned away by irrelevant content.
Instead, ClutchPoints speaks directly to the mobile sports market, which continues to grow as fans want to interact more. They enjoy a steady stream of targeted, personalized pieces of content that add another unique dimension to their experience.
Experience
You’re sitting in the bleachers, sweating in the sun, when you see all the empty seats closer to the field. Why can’t you just move up closer to be more comfortable and get more out of your visit to the ballpark?
With Experience, now you can! Over 300 sports and entertainment properties are using this app to build a base of lifelong fans. Teams like the Boston Celtics or the San Francisco 49ers work toward giving their fans a more personalized experience and building strong relationships with their current fanbase to retain and engage them in exciting ways.
The app enables these companies to attract new fans through better ticketing options, like subscription access to a full month of events or the option to purchase last-minute tickets. Organizations can also provide unexpected upgrades and offer access to exclusive merchandise to cultivate brand loyalty.
YouStake
This website allows you to invest in players and make money from their success. Combining crowdsourcing with sports, YouStake is a whole new way for fans to show support.
It specifically targets the world of poker players and esports. Previously, staking poker players happened in informal settings or on poker forums. No more handshake deals in back rooms. This brings the underground world of staking to the mainstream.
The world of poker embraces this new, safer, and more transparent environment. Following suit is the world of esports. YouStake partnered with Rivalcade, a website that offers esports tournaments with real-money entries, in August 2016.
OpenSponsorship
This sports marketing platform caters to organizations of all sizes. Sports marketers who are making the most out of social media outlets like Snapchat understand the importance of interacting in social media.
OpenSponsorship gives marketers a place to seek athlete endorsements and sports sponsorships to jumpstart their brand reach. They can filter through sports organizations, type of endorsement, an athlete’s gender, and type of sport to find where they want to promote. Once they find an athlete, event, or team, they simply shoot a message over and get connected.
Phenom
Athletes who want to celebrate what they wear and what they use now have a chance to share their excitement. Phenom is where they can become a brand ambassador for their favorite gear. During training, athletes post about achievements and show off what gear they’re using.
This is another great tool for sports marketers as well as coaches. They can help their athletes celebrate and share their stories to inspire others and create an identity around products and brands they love.
ArrowPass
No more long lines at the concession stand. ArrowPass is an excellent tool for those in sports management who aim to improve the fan experience. It’s a system that simplifies event management by eliminating lines and boosting concession sales.
Fans can swipe their credit card once, load a balance on their wristband, then tap their wrist on a payment device. It’s a smart chip-based technology, so it doesn’t rely on wiring or wifi. Hungry fans won’t miss the next pitch, and event coordinators will boost sales and improve attendee satisfaction when they use ArrowPass.
EON Sports VR
EON Sports created a virtual reality tool that changes baseball training and gives fans a unique new experience. For example, hitters can practice their hand-eye coordination, bat speed, and stance by taking pitches from a virtual pitcher.
Athletes can perform their exercises on demand whenever they want to get in a few swings. This also helps trainers plan interactive routines for their clients.
What other sports companies do you see improving experiences in the industry?
