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Smart stadiums, the digital monetisation of women’s sport, and further maturity of artificial intelligence (AI) and Web 3.0 use cases will be among the key sports technology trends of 2024, according to IMG’s annual ‘Digital Trends Report’.
The study, now in its sixth year, said that the stadium experience would continue to be transformed by new fan-facing digital innovations as well as operational technologies powered by the Internet of Things (IoT) and AI.
Citing applications such as smart heating and lighting systems, connected retail, and digital advertising, IMG said venue operators could benefit from deeper engagement, lower overhead costs and new revenue streams.
Meanwhile, the exponential growth of women’s sport in the past 12 months, coupled with a more tech-literate fanbase, means women’s properties are better placed to capitalise on many of the opportunities promised by the digital transformation of sport.
Specifically, this digitally engaged audience is hugely attractive to commercial partners, while fans of women’s sport are 20 per cent more likely to spend on streaming platforms than men’s sport. With the Paris 2024 Olympic Games providing a global platform for female sport and athletes, IMG is predicting another milestone year.
That both Web 3.0 and AI once again appear in the list reflects their importance to the sports industry and the rapid pace of development and implementation in the sporting world. The report says it expects a quieter 2024 for Web 3.0 now that non-fungible token (NFT) speculators and scammers have exited the market, but development in the long-term potential of blockchain-based technologies will continue.
IMG says that it was surprised by the pace of generative AI adoption in 2023 and expects the sports industry to become more comfortable and inventive with how it uses the technology in the next 12 months. Specifically, IMG anticipates properties will move beyond experimentation and content creation towards unlocking more efficiencies in their organisation, boosted by investments made by big tech firms and pioneers in the space, most notably OpenAI.
AI will also be used to drive personalisation across digital portfolios, while the report also predicts the rise of the ‘mega influencer’, with individual athletes and celebrity fans and investors having a much greater impact on the industry.
“The unprecedented speed with which AI blew the doors off the technology landscape in 2023 has unquestionably moved us into a new era of digital,” said Lewis Wiltshire, IMG senior vice president and managing director of digital. “We are now in an age of AI, mixed reality, and streaming.”
The report also argues that the term ‘social media’ is now outdated, with various digital platforms performing different functions for sports organisations and their fans. YouTube, although heavily reliant on user-generated content, is less of a social network than X (formerly known as Twitter), while Instagram performs a major role in news alongside its social features. Instead of adopting a one-size-fits-all approach to social media, IMG argues properties should prioritise platforms on their ability to update, entertain, generate revenue, and create communities.
Indeed, IMG has also published a power ranking of the most important third-party platforms for the sports industry. TikTok leads the way, ahead of YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp. Elon Musk’s revamped X sits in sixth place, reflecting its diminishing appeal.
“This year’s Digital Trends Report is the first time we’ve done this under the new IMG brand, which seems fitting,” said Wiltshire. “We’re proud to present rights holders with a clear view of the technology they need to be aware of over the next 12 months and proud to offer paths through this landscape as part of IMG, with our digital expertise now at the very heart of the organisation’s strength and scale.” 
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