Sports Equipment and Technology Trends

sports technology trends

The sports industry continues to evolve with the rapid pace of technological innovations, reshaping how fans engage, athletes perform, and teams generate value. The most prominent trends include virtual and phygital sports, coaching technologies, innovations for female athletes, smart stadium experiences, and an increased focus on sustainability and equity.

Increasingly, sports equipment and technology integrates data analytics to create more personalized training programs for athletes. These advancements have led to a shift in training methodologies and an improved understanding of athlete development over time.

For example, smart integrations like Adidas’ 4DFWD running shoes and Formlabs’ 3D-printed lattice midsoles adjust cushioning and propulsion based on foot scans and biomechanics. These innovations are helping to improve performance and reduce injuries. Similarly, Wilson’s X Connected Basketball uses sensor technology to monitor shooting performance metrics and provide coaches and players with real-time insights.

Another critical trend is the increased use of data-driven insights to optimize strategic Return to Play (RTP) protocols. Specifically, using data to personalize rehabilitation programs is expected to help reduce the risk of re-injury and help ensure athletes return to competition safely and effectively.

Lastly, the use of intelligent data-driven injury prevention is also set to continue to grow. This is especially true for amateur sports where access to the same technology that professional athletes have can be cost prohibitive. This includes physiotherapy wearables that track and analyze an athlete’s health and wellness data and allow for a more individualized treatment approach.

Highlights of the World Athletics Championship

World Athletics Championship

The World Athletics Championship, formerly the IAAF World Championships in Athletics, is a biennial track and field competition organized by the sport’s global governing body, World Athletics (previously IAAF). Held every two years, the event serves as the highest level of senior international outdoor competition in the sport, along with the Olympic Games. World Athletics also organizes separate World Championships for marathon running, race walking and other events.

During her third and final World Athletics Championship, USA sprinter Melissa Jefferson-Wooden was on the verge of making history. If she can win the women’s sprint treble in Tokyo, she will join Jamaican legend Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce as one of only two females to achieve the feat.

She was already the world’s leading 100m and 200m runner. But by the end of Sunday’s evening session, she had added a fourth gold medal to her collection when she ran the opening leg of the US women’s 4x100m relay team, which won ahead of Jamaica.

Other highlights of the day included Leo Neugebauer winning the men’s decathlon after a competition full of twists and turns, and Daniel Stahl becoming a three-time champion in the discus. And in the women’s 10k, Kenyan Faith Kipyegon did what she does best as she clinched a gold medal, while Nadia Battocletti and Guduf Tsegay earned silver and bronze respectively.

There were a number of surprise winners in the final session as well, including Clayton Young’s remarkable victory in the 800m. He was the first American to win a world title since 1983, and his victory over Amanal Petros and Illiass Aouani crowned him as a new world champion.

International Sports and Global Culture

As anyone who’s watched a live match of football, soccer or cricket knows, there is nothing quite like the crowd reaction at a sporting event to get you into the spirit of the game. Even if you’re not the biggest fan of sports, there is something about hearing the home team cheer from the stands that evokes a sense of pride and belonging that makes you feel like you’re part of the city you’re visiting on your study or intern abroad program.

Whether it’s the Olympics or FIFA World Cup, international sports are a huge part of global culture. The financial clout of sport is also undeniable, with the sports economy including media rights and licensing as well as sponsorship and merchandise. There is also the growing market of eSports, which has been growing rapidly thanks to recent technological advancements in video games.

There are a number of international multi-sport events that take place every year, a few of which include the Olympic Games, The FIFA World Cup and The Rugby World Cup. The Olympic Games is the world’s premier multi-sport competition that takes place every four years and includes over 35 different sports.

There is also the European Games, which are a multi-sport competition that follows the model of the Olympic Games but is only open to athletes from European nations. The Paralympic Games is a similar event, with both able-bodied and disabled athletes competing in a variety of sports.

How International Qualiferers Are Shaping Up Around the Globe

International qualifiers are tournaments that thin the field of teams competing in a major soccer championship. These events are overseen by the international governing body of soccer, FIFA, and involve several rounds of matches in different formats. The winner of each round gains access to the final tournament, while runners-up may qualify through a playoff system.

Ahead of the final qualifying round for 2026, we take a look at how things are shaping up across the globe. In Europe, most of the 55 European nations that have not already qualified have begun their campaign. Groups of four or five teams play each other home and away in a series of games, with the winners of each group earning a place at the final tournament.

In Concacaf, England moved a step closer to a place at the World Cup after their 5-0 statement win in Serbia. Rino Gattuso’s Azzurri now face a tough test of their credentials when they travel to Norway for the next leg in November.

In Asia, Uzbekistan boosted their hopes of making the finals by drawing 1-1 in the United Arab Emirates on Thursday. That result means they now sit second in their group, level with Iran on 23 points, and will qualify if they can defeat Iraq and Saudi Arabia in the final two fixtures. Elsewhere, Qatar and Indonesia have a chance to secure the fourth and final spot from their group by beating Oman and Saudi Arabia in their respective final rounds.

World Series Highlights

NEW YORK – It was a World Series full of firsts. The first-ever walk-off grand slam in the series was launched by Atlanta’s Freddie Freeman 36 years after Kirk Gibson blasted one over the left-field wall to turn a loss into a win for the Dodgers, and it was the first time a team that trailed 3-1 in the World Series came back to win a game.

LOS ANGELES – With their backs to the wall and the Commissioner’s Trophy in sight, the Dodgers went all-in on the process that got them from a shaky start to a National League pennant and into this World Series. Even when their high-leverage relievers were holstered to preserve the lead, they kept going with the plan that brought them this far. And when the plan unraveled in a big way, it was an inning of epic desperation that produced one of the greatest denouements in Fall Classic history.

It was the kind of inning that gives baseball fans a reason to be so grateful for the best-of-seven format, introduced in 1905 after the NL champion Giants refused to play the AL champion Boston Pilgrims and remained the only year (until a players’ strike canceled it in 1994) the World Series wasn’t played. A couple of misplays by the Yankees and a little more scheming by Los Angeles manager Dave Roberts spelled trouble for the Dodgers, but they still made it through with an outfield juggling act.

Five Viral Sports Moments of 2024

Whether it’s a mascot’s funny antics, an Olympic swimmer’s prank or an NFL player’s troll-tastic handshake, viral sports moments captivate fans and break through barriers of language, time zones and sport. They help athletes and teams connect with new followers, drive engagement and build loyalty among existing fanbases.

Creating a viral moment is no easy feat. There are many factors that need to be in place, and not everyone can pull it off. However, for those that are able to strike gold, the rewards can be massive.

Viral sports moments can catapult brands to ubiquity, exposing them to millions of people and making them household names. They can also be powerful marketing tools that help drive sales and brand awareness.

While some viral moments are accidental, others can be intentionally engineered. Take, for example, the “Ice Bucket Challenge” trend that swept social media in 2014. The campaign capitalized on a combination of elements to become a phenomenon: social currency, evoking emotion, showcasing talent, providing practical value and telling a compelling narrative.

This year’s Olympics offered up a number of head-scratching viral moments, from “pommel horse guy” earning a bronze medal and a spot on Dancing with the Stars to the 58-year-old Turkish shooter who went viral for his iconic stance in the men’s 10m air pistol. Choosing just five of them was almost impossible, but here are some of the most viral sports moments of 2024.

Olympic Ice Hockey

Ice hockey makes its Olympic debut at the 1920 Antwerp Games. From there, the sport grew, relocating to indoor arenas and gaining more prominence with each successive Olympics, from Chamonix 1924 to Cortina d’Ampezzo 1956. Players braved blizzards, cold temperatures and even mid-game shovelling to clear the ice.

Then came the Miracle on Ice, a stunning upset that stunned the Soviet Union and changed the face of men’s Olympic hockey forever. From there, new stories opened: Sweden grabbed its first gold in 1994 after a shootout classic against Canada; the Czech Republic climbed behind Dominik Hasek’s goaltending to claim a triumphant gold in 1998; and Canada reset its own story at 2002, 2010, 2014 and 2018.

As of now, Olympic ice hockey is only played on NHL-sized rinks when the event takes place in an Olympic city. However, a proposal has been made to allow the game to be played on a smaller rink – perhaps around the size of the NHL’s Coalville Civic Center — in 2026.

In the event of a tie at the end of regulation in the gold medal or bronze medal game, there will be a 20-minute period of 3-on-3 overtime. A winner will be determined by the team that scores more goals. A tiebreaker will also be used if needed. During a shootout, the attacking player must put their stick on the ice first and the puck must completely cross the goal line to count as a goal.

NFL Draft 2025

The NFL draft 2025 was held at Lambeau Field and Titletown District in Green Bay, Wisconsin on April 24–26, 2025. The 90th annual meeting of National Football League franchises to select newly eligible players was hosted by the Green Bay Packers and featured seven rounds of selections.

The Eagles moved up to get Campbell, who is a big-bodied defensive tackle. He’s a great fit for the Eagles’ defense that lost both Calais Campbell and Da’Shawn Hand in free agency and has to replace tackles Alim McNeill and Maliek Collins. At 6-foot-4 and 331 pounds, he is a space eater who should help clear rush lanes for Zach Sieler.

Why they picked him: The Giants had a lot of needs after a rough season, but quarterback was their top priority. Dart was an intriguing prospect because of his accurate throwing, anticipation and ability to escape pressure. He also has a strong arm and can make all the throws that the Giants’ new offense requires.

The Jets added a plug-and-play offensive lineman to complement last year’s first-round pick, Olu Fashanu. Zabel is an athletic, mobile tackle who can play either guard position and has the potential to be a good pass blocker. He’ll be a nice fit for new coach Klint Kubiak’s outside zone running game that prioritizes athletic linemen who can get off blocks and move in space. He’ll join center Sam Cosmi, guards Tyler Biadasz and Joe Tippmann and tackles Corey Clement and Alijah Vera-Tucker.

The Politics of Fan Protest Stories

Whether it’s rallying against Jose Mourinho or protesting against the commercialization of football, fans have a long history of using their passion for a particular subject to fight for change. The articles in this issue demonstrate that fan activism isn’t a passing fad, but rather a powerful force that is increasingly influencing civic life.

This issue brings together cutting-edge work that takes fans seriously as political agents, and that draws on a variety of theories of citizenship and democracy. Its essays explore how fan activism can reframe and challenge dominant discourses about culture, power, and society.

We examine how the way in which protest stories are told can influence people’s attitudes toward the protest and the protesters. Specifically, we show that when news media humanize – as opposed to delegitimize – the teenager whose death prompts a protest, viewers perceive the story as more credible. This effect holds for both Democrats and those with Democrat-leaning views. In contrast, when stories delegitimize the teenager whose death prompts a migrant rights protest, viewers perceive the story as less credible.

We also show that a fan activism organization’s use of preexisting community structures, like fandoms or the Black press, helps it build up a sense of solidarity and social action among its members. This is illustrated by Dave’s story about his experience with the Harry Potter Alliance, an organization that encourages its members to use their love of the books to promote social change.

Esports Tournament News

Whether you’re a high-stakes tournament winner or a devoted fan watching from the sidelines, esports is revolutionizing the way consumers interact with video games. Sponsored by some of the biggest video game companies in the world, competitions for popular titles are played in world-class arenas and watched by millions, making esports a multibillion dollar industry 1. And as internet connectivity speeds increase around the globe, it won’t be long before that number doubles.

Esports, also known as e-Sports, e-games, or electronic sports, is organized competitive video gaming that has evolved into a global phenomenon with televised championships seen by tens of millions of people and a potential Olympic debut on the horizon 2. Esports tournaments feature teams competing against one another to win cash prizes, and the popularity of eSports has led to mainstream media networks like ESPN broadcasting events 3, professional sport leagues adding eSports to their lineups 4 — and even owners of NBA and NHL franchises investing in esports teams 5.

The eSports industry is driven by players who dedicate themselves to their craft and compete for large prize pools. Many of these players are incredibly successful in their respective games, and some have become household names in their own right. Some of the most notable eSports competitors include Astralis (Dota 2), OG (League of Legends), FaZe Clan (Counter-Strike), Daigo Umehara (Street Fighter) and more.