The way fans consume sports is changing. With increasing demand for multichannel entertainment and more personalized interactions with both teams and players, fans are getting closer to the action and real-time engagement before and after sporting events. More and more sports are being consumed on smartphone devices, particularly by younger, mobile-first generations. Every technology innovation has the opportunity to change and influence the way we experience sports.

Gone are the days where basic exercise, fitness, and pre-game preparation was limited to stretching and the weight room. Today, through a rapid expansion of tech and innovation, players are better equipped with options to get faster, more fit, and ready for gametime. We seek to invest in platforms and products that help players perform at their ultimate best.

Sports media is becoming a participatory event that extends far beyond the televised slots of scheduled games. Immersive and interactive media is fueling video production and democratization of both production and sports video content is creating entirely new distribution models ushering in new companies not previously considered part of the sports media ecosystem.

It used to be that stadiums were built to simply accommodate team sporting events and, if they were lucky, the occasional concert tour. Now, they’re catching up to the changes in technology. Today, entire neighborhoods are being developed around stadiums, helping influence the way teams think about their real estate assets. Because fans can watch sports virtually anywhere, stadiums are being built with the latest technology enhancements that can create an unparalleled gameday experience.

Increasing development around advanced applications, sensors, and wearables is allowing teams to understand, track, and analyze player performance like never before. In addition, new AR/VR applications are helping teams train and video analytics can track and improve play. Predictive decision-making software is greatly changing the way teams are managed and organized.

Sports organizations are able to extend their brands in new ways, from leveraging cross-platform data to better reaching and understanding targeted audiences. Now, sports teams are focusing more on new forms of business like eCommerce and are enabled to do so with new tools that enhance cybersecurity, data visualization, and even booking platforms that put the power of ticketing in the hands of the sports team.

Today, 13 American states have some form of legalized sports betting at the moment. Seven are on-deck, and 25 await passage of legislation. Research projects media and entertainment companies could generate $9 billion of gambling revenue over the next few years. The opportunities that arise from fantasy sports, and game wagering will need a robust technological backbone to support them.

This year, the rise of esports is expected to bring in more than $1 billion in global revenue. North America is the biggest esports market with revenues of $409.1 million. Together, 23.9 million esports fans there will generate $17.13 per fan this year. We believe how Americans watch and play esports will greatly define the sports landscape for decades to come.