One of us attended SBJ’s Tech Week event in New York City last month and found it interesting how numerous super-intelligent speakers offered variations on a familiar theme: What we know about sports tech today will seem obsolete tomorrow.
We grinned, as many in the Times Center did, when a speaker or panelist embraced a certain digital humility and spouted wisdom first offered by Bill and Ted in 1989’s “Excellent Adventure” movie.
You remember that scene, right? It’s where Bill and Ted set out to grab the Greek philosopher Socrates and bring him (via a phone booth time machine) to San Dimas High for their final class project.
William “Bill” S. Preston, Esq., reads to Ted “Theodore” Logan from a dogeared textbook noting the only true wisdom consists in knowing we know nothing. Ted agrees and says, “That’s us, dude.”
Many professionals and professors know (or try teaching) that technology has advanced more in the past decade than in the past century. Tech industry gurus consistently call the changes “revolutionary,” “cutting edge,” and — in many cases — derivatives from the Marvel, Star Wars or Star Trek universes.
We all smile. What was once science fiction is now the day-to-day reality of quantum computing, 5/6G transmissions, artificial intelligence, smartphones, mixed reality, blockchain, big data and genetic engineering.
If Bill and Ted can find their way to wisdom against incredible odds, there’s hope for us all in the sports business.
What fascinates us is recognizing humans still compete with rules (the game ecosystem) that pretty much existed 75 years ago. Technology enhancements are present but often feel as if they sit as a sideline (pun intended) component for augmenting fan experiences, providing wider/more extensive distribution, faster data computations and greater player injury prevention.
Yes, shots are tracked, skis go faster, skates stay sharper and bikes are lighter. They may aid an athlete’s longevity or scientific performance as long as we uphold competition “integrity” and fairness. Otherwise, private owners or national Olympic committees get sideways to the commissioner (or International Olympic Committee) about how a team or country holds an advantage.
Reaching back to Bill and Ted, we wonder how many of the world’s top sports executives are willing to embrace that Socratic philosophy of knowing nothing? Of not knowing enough?
Loving ignorance is hard and far from ideal but at the tech conference listening to Chris Schlosser, Major League Soccer’s senior vice president of emerging ventures, it was clear none of the big five pro leagues (NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL and MLS) believe their current technical acumen is cutting edge.
Schlosser highlighted three areas of interest for MLS, including making players safer and better; enhancing the fan experience; and maximizing the industry-altering Apple deal. He also noted every league already is invested in discovering the next generation of “things” that grow their game, such as all-important advances in marketing, fan satisfaction and media management.
Like we said earlier, many of those advancements seem to sit, for the moment, on the game’s periphery.
Artificial intelligence (generative AI) remains a hot topic, as does data manipulation/mining. Throw in the odd comment about AR/VR/MR and facial recognition and the tech-centric conference attendees likely came away sensing just how big a fire hose our industry must drink from between now and LA’s 2028 Summer Olympics.
Heck, we’ve already seen tech evolution influencing officiating, ball design (implanted microchips) and stadium experiences that give home sofas a run for their money.
What caught our attention in NYC is something we’ll watch closely during the next four years: How do leagues, staffed by savvy young digital natives, sell tech-based solutions to the digital immigrants (older private owners or administrators) fiercely holding on to power?
How do those who truly understand new technology’s upside get key stakeholders in league offices to back them? How can national governing bodies convince their archaic volunteer membership to integrate technology into the core sport product played by the elite athletes of the future?
It’s a delicate dance, and while SBJ’s conference didn’t feature league commissioners, it’s possible chief technical officers/CIOs may soon sit upon those very thrones … once they prove to investors/owners how technology can generate exponential revenue gains different from traditional verticals such as media rights, sponsorship, F&B, parking and merchandise.
When those digital savants start showing us how “new” money gets made in big multiples, it’s easy to imagine they’ll find themselves tabbed as league/NGB CEOs. Climbing out on a limb, we predict future leaders in sport won’t have legal backgrounds (negotiating with a union will be an AI exercise by 2030), but instead they’ll show off deep tech expertise.
Today we have shot clocks, five-angle instant replay cameras, in-game parlays and miked-up referees, but none is a game changer. What’s currently in development for our games is “cool,” but we’re still waving from the very top of the tech iceberg.
Someday soon a tech developer will change the face of sports by unearthing (and unleashing) the Rosetta Stone equivalent. When that happens, sport as we know it doesn’t get disrupted, it gets jolted. That, in turn, will cause the kids at San Dimas High (and all over the world) to provide access to their bank accounts, while saying to us, “Most excellent, dude.”
Rick Burton is the David B. Falk Professor of Sport Management at Syracuse University and founder/CEO of Burton Marketing Group. Norm O’Reilly is the dean of the University of Maine’s Graduate School of Business and partner with the T1 Agency. They are the co-authors of numerous sports business books, including “Business the NHL Way: Lessons from the Fastest Game on Ice” (University of Toronto Press).
Questions about OPED guidelines or letters to the editor? Email editor Jake Kyler at jkyler@sportsbusinessjournal.com.
