NBA analyst Shaquille O’Neal he tries a pair of Snapchat Spectacles at CES 2017. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
A little over a year ago, the Consumer Technology Association announced that it was launching Sports Zone at its premier technology show, CES, providing a track for sports-focused technologists on the forefront of athletic quantification and smart venues. At CES 2019 in Las Vegas, the trade organization will be building on those efforts with more dedicated exhibitor space as it works to create an environment for athletes and founders to converge.
The sports track at this year’s CES, which takes place in Las Vegas the second week of January, is still being finalized. So far, CES has confirmed 13 sports-related exhibitors, including brain analytics and eye-tracking company SyncThink and Omega Sports Technology, which makes precision line-calling software to assist officials in fast-paced sports such as tennis.
Among other Sports Zone exhibitors are helmet manufacturer Livall Tech, EMS and muscle recovery device Hi-Dow Electron, golf simulator Golfzon Newdin, combat sports training machine BotBoxer, and smart clothing maker Smartlife.
Sense Arena will be present as well with a synthetic ice display that will serve as a scaled-down mirror of Golden Knights’ T-Mobile arena where it will show off its new virtual reality training technology.
In total, CES expects to dedicate as much as 6,500 square feet to the space, which would mark an increase from the 4,500 square feet it allocated to the Sports Zone last year. A spokesperson for CTA said that’s a moving target as CES continues to book exhibitors and presentations in the weeks leading up to the show.
CES has long dedicated space to digital health and wellness, such as wearable devices, smart garments, workout machines and sleep monitors. What differentiates the Sports Zone is that it’s specifically focused on athletic development and fan experiences in competitive sports, according to Jean Foster, CTA’s senior vice president of marketing and communications.
At the show this year, the CES Sports Zone will focus on the quantified athlete, smart venues, immersive media, next-generation sponsorships and esports.
“There’s exciting new opportunities between these two different groups,” said Karen Chupka, the CTA’s executive vice president. “There’s so much synergy between them.”
To support these efforts, SportTechie will host a dedicated CES Sports Zone content hub in the weeks leading up to the show, during CES, and after. SportTechie will also cover the latest sports tech innovations directly from Las Vegas in January.
Among CES’s broader areas of focus this year outside of Sports Zone are 5G mobile communications (with Verizon giving a keynote about that), artificial intelligence (with IBM keynoting), and healthcare. All of those will also impact the sports world, with 5G powering new in-arena experiences and AI keeping elite athletes healthier, boosting performances, and improving in-arena experiences for fans.
“Innovate or die,” said CTA CEO Gary Shapiro at a recent press conference in New York City announcing CES 2019’s focus. “If you don’t change, change will happen to you.”
Also interesting to note will be a CES 2019 press day presentation held by WWE, though exactly what the wrestling league plans to announce at the show is not yet clear.
SportTechie Takeaway
Even before the official launch of CES Sports Zone last year, CES was a hotbed of tech-minded leagues and professional athletes. CES 2017 hosted all of the major sports leagues, including the NBA, the NFL, MLB and NASCAR, and professional athletes such as Shaquille O’Neal, Charles Barkley, Joe Montana, and Michael Phelps.
The dedication to sports at CES comes as athletes and leagues continue to strike partnerships with technology companies to disrupt the way they train and the way fans consume sports. Last year in the Bay Area, Golden State Warriors teammates Steph Curry and Andre Iguodala launched an annual tech conference to connect athletes, technologists, and investors. Earlier this year, SeventySix Capital launched the Athlete Venture Group, led by recently retired MLB all-star Ryan Howard, to serve as a conduit for professional athletes to invest in startups.
This content is part of the CES Sports Zone Innovation Showcase. If your sports technology will impact the world of professional athletes, sports leagues, owners, coaching staff, and fans, you can’t afford to miss CES Sports Zone. Learn more here.
