Technology has a huge impact on almost every area of our lives. It has changed the way humans communicate and interact in everyday life. Technology impacts every industry of our society from education to sports.

New technology has greatly impacted the way that we enjoy football and other sports. It has blurred the line between the physical and the digital. The NFL and other professional sports organizations have seen an increase in engagement and revenue because of technology.

Today’s sports fans expect technology to enrich their viewing experiences. In response to the interest in technology, major organizations like the NFL have turned to analytics, streaming and cloud technology to enrich their fans experience. These technologies are enriching the game-day experience in ways that are hard to believe. Here are five ways that technology is changing the way that we watch football and sporting events.

#1 Expanded Streaming

Online streaming is the future of sports programming. In the past, cable was the norm when it came to watching sporting events. Today’s sports fans want immediate access to their favorite sporting events, which is why online streaming of sports games will grow. Online streaming offers customized and instant access to sporting events, unlike cable television.

You can expect online streaming to expand way beyond NFL and professional sporting events. It will also become the norm for high school and college sporting events. Adidas has recently partnered with Twitter to stream select high school football games live. So, now if mom is out of town on a business trip, she doesn’t have to miss her son’s football game. Right now, games from nationally ranked teams in Indiana, California, Florida, Georgia and Nevada are available through the Twitter and Adidas partnership. We expect this service to expand nationally if all goes well.

#2 A Better Game Day Experience

Imagine being able to order food and drink from your mobile device and having it delivered right to your seat without having to miss a play to take a trip to the concession stands. Or, maybe your smartphone will tell you where the closest restroom with the shortest line is at. If you plan to attend a Falcons game in Atlanta, then you might already have access to similar technology. Fans can order beers and hot dogs via a mobile app and then receive step-by-step navigation to the nearest concession stand to pick up their orders.

#3 Greater Insights During the Game

Technology will provide many more insights to fans in the future. Imagine being able to access instant replays, alternate views and close-up videos as you watch the game. The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, which is currently under construction in London, will offer many of these capabilities. Fans will also be able to watch the action from every angle via super high-definition monitors. The Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta offers fans a 360-degree view of the game via a huge HD Halo Scoreboard. This scoreboard is 63,000 square feet and offers an immersive close-up look at what is happening during the game.

Wearables are also able to provide greater insights to both fans and coaches during the game. Fans will be able to track the speed, heart rate and impact of a pitch via wearables worn by players at Major League Baseball games.

#4 More Convenient Parking and Access

New technology and mobile applications already provide traffic information and suggest the fastest routes to the stadium. Technology will continue to make it easier and more convenient to get to the game. Stadiums will likely employ the use of mobile apps to guide fans to the closest parking and direct traffic. The Mercedes-Benz Smart Stadium in Atlanta already uses technology to manage parking and doors. The stadium allows fans to scan their ticket to an app to locate parking closest to their seats.

#5 A Better Post Game Experience

The NFL is already using mixed reality headsets to offer improved post game experiences to fans. Virtual reality headsets offer a more immersive and realistic post-game experience. This year makes the second year in a row that the NFL is utilizing Microsoft Windows Mixed Reality headsets to provide an improved after game experience to fans. The NBA also used mixed reality headsets to offer fans free on-demand virtual reality game highlights from the 2018 NBA Finals.

Vernon Computer Source rents computer hardware and other devices like tablets and smartphones to professionals. While you could utilize these devices to watch football, we advise you to do so during downtime and non-work hours.