How Mobile Devices are Changing Football

Technology is fast changing how fans and players interact with their football team. Both in the stadium and at home, new developments and innovations are giving fans and players more access, more data, and more ways to follow matches. This year Pittsburgh Steelers partnered with Daktronics to produce a video board that can produce 281 trillion colors. Yet the biggest developments are happening on a much smaller scale. Mobile technology is changing how football is watched and played forever.

For The Fans

Mobile Stadium Connection

Smartphones are becoming a huge part of any football fan’s experience. As the demographic of fans changes, so are their demands for watching live games. Tech Republic reports that stadiums are in competition to add the latest technologies to their venues. The articles notes that at college games young fans are likely to leave the stadium if they cannot connect to the internet. Which means that some stadiums have combated this by ensuring that fans can stay connected, and use their mobile device to buy seat upgrades, order food, and use the team’s app to watch replays.

Home Viewing

Mobile technology is becoming increasingly popular, interactive and a convenient way to access sports and other pastimes. In their Fortune’s list of how to access live NFL content, they mentioned that all providers of NFL games have designed their outlets to include mobile devices. This allows fans to watch live games no matter where they are.

Mobile technology is increasingly becoming the dominant device that users access content. In the mobile gaming industry Medium state that 62% of smartphone owners install a game within a week of purchase. This has led to a shift in companies adapting to the digital age. In 2016 online gaming company Gaming Realms documented that 80% of the their customers now use their products on mobile devices. This year Gaming Realms reported a year-on-year revenue increase of 5% demonstrating how the mobile device market is continuing to increase. Their flagship outlet Slingo Casino allows players to play digital versions of famous card games which are similar to the games played on the famous Las Vegas Strip. In the same way that football fans can use their mobile devices to expand their team experience, so to are consumers across other industries expanding how they connect with their favorite pastimes.

For The Teams

Mobile Playbooks

Mobile tablets have nearly replaced the traditional paper playbooks. While Popular Mechanics inform that current NFL rules state that no computers are allowed to be used during a match, they are now the main reference point during training sessions. The tech sites writes that teams are now connected to a playbook network that allows coaches to make changes and send them instantly to all members of the team. The tablet can also be used a valuable reference resource, as players can watch videos using one device rather than going through hundreds of DVDs.

VR Training

Mobile technology is having a huge effect in the training sessions of football teams. Using technology from STRIVR players can now practice plays and replay them using VR technology as if they were on the pitch. This year the Pittsburgh Steelers implemented the technology into their training sessions.